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!  miwiKi 


GOMMOD! 

INDUSTRIE 


THE  MASTER 
MUSIC  IAN  S 

WHO  RECORD  EXCLUSIVELY  FOR 

COLUMBIA    RECORDS 

INCLUDE    THE    FOLLOWING 

Dame  CLARA  BUTT 
and  KENNERLEY  RUMFORD 

Sir  HENRY  J.  WOOD 
Conducting    the    NEW    QUEEN'S 

HALL  ORCHESTRA 

(Proprietors  -   Chappell  &  Co.,  Ltd.) 

HAMILTON  HARTY 

Conducting  the 

HALLE  ORCHESTRA 

PACHMANN  (Piano) 

YSAYE  (Violin)      CASALS  ('Cello) 

BUSONI  (Piano) 

ELSA  STRALIA 

FRANK  MULLINGS 

LONDON  STRING  QUARTET, 

etc.,  etc. 

For  Complete  List,  see  Current 
Catalogue 

Columbia  Records  lead  in  their  more  faithful 
tone,  in  the  many  unique  works  they  offer, 
in  the  constant  additions  of  great  artistes, 
in  the  ever-changing  variety,  and  in  the 
fact  that  THEY  WEAR  TWICE  AS  LONG  ! 

Ask  your  dealer  for  Newest  Lists. 

Columbia  4l 


(1466E) 


WHO'S    WHO 

IN  THE 

THEATRE 

A  biographical  Record  of 
the    contemporary   stage 

FOURTH       EDITION 

Edited  by  JOHN  PARKER 

THIS  popular  work  consists  of  — 

(1)  A  universal  biographical  dictionary  of  the  more 

prominent  personages  connected  with  the  con- 
temporary stage,  including  Managers,  Dramatists, 
Musical  Composers,  Critics,  as  well  as  Artists. 

(2)  A  complete  list  of  plays  which  have  had  runs  of 

more  than  one  hundred  performances  on  the 
London  Stage. 

(3)  A  Calendar  of  notable  theatrical  events. 

(4)  Mr.     J.    M.     Bulloch's    Genealogical    Tables    of 

Theatrical  Families. 

(5)  An  exhaustive  dramatical  and  musical  obituary. 

(6)  Full    particulars    of    the    principal    theatres    in 

London,  Paris,  New  York,  etc. 

A  The  book  has  been  most  carefully    p   • 

UVCl      compiled,  and  is  acknowledged  to    if  ICC 

be  the  most  comprehensive  reposi- 

•Sim  torY   of   theatrical    data   in    exist- 

l,tJUU  ence       The  new  edition  has  been 

brought  thoroughly  up  to  date. 
Pd§6S  pun  particulars,  post  jree. 


The         .         .         .  Who's  Who  in  the  Theatre  ' 

DAILY  MAIL  says  :  is  undoubtedly  the  best  and 
most  useful  directory  of  the 
stage  ever  compiled." 

SIR  ISAAC   PITMAN  &  SONS,  LTD. 
Parker   St.,  Kingsway,  London,  W.G.2 


L.  E.  JACCARD 


19-21  and  23 
Clerkenwell  Road 
LONDON,  E.C.I 


CONTRACTOR 

TO  H.M.  AND 

UNITED  STATES 

GOVERNMENTS 


Manufacturer    &   Importer  for 
the    Talking    Machine    Trade 


Complete  Gramophones,  also  Sound-boxes,  Tone-arms 
Needles  and  Accessories 


Large  Stock  of  the   best   British   and     | 
Swiss  Motors 


Manufacturer  of  the  largest  selection  of  the  very 
best  quality  only  of  Mainsprings  for  Gramophones     i 

illllllllllllllllllllll IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllMllllllllirr 


I 


1 


THE    EDISON    BELL   (All   British) 

HANDEPHON 


BRITAIN'S 

BEST  PORTABLE 

GRAMOPHONE 


Plays   any  kind 
of  Record 

Revised  Price 

£4:10:0 


Weight  12£  Ibs. 

Tone-arm  automatically  lowers  into  Cabinet  as  lid  is  closed 
NO  LOOSE  PARTS  TO  RATTLE 

The  "  HANDEPHON  "  is  entirely  British 
made — motor,  tone-arm,  sound-box,  cabinet, 
and  every  other  part.  Remember  the  name 
of  EDISON  BELL  is  the  highest  guarantee. 
This  model  is  the  acme  of  portability  and  com- 
pactness. When  closed  looks  no  bigger  than 
an  attache  case. 

ORDER  THE  "  HANDBPHON  »  FROM  YOUR  DEALER 

and  at  the  same  time  ask  for  Catalogues  of  Edison 
Bell  "Velvet  Face,"  "Winner,"  and  "Bell"  Records 

|      : | 

Use  "  Chromic  "  Needles  on  all  your 
Records.  Price  1/3  per  Box  of  100. 
Each  Point  Plays  10  Records. 


Manufacturers  and  Patentees: 
J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd.,  Edison  Bell  Works,  London,  S.E.I  5 


1—  (1466E) 


EDISON  BELL  RECORDS 
are  made  in  3  kinds 
— each  distinct  from  the  others 


1 


2 


VELVET  FACE  (V.F.) 

Records  cater  for  a  discriminating  music -loving 
public.  Velvet  Face  discs  are  manufactured  from 
a  special  material  which  ensures  for  them  an  absolutely 
silent  surface.  No  foreign,  harsh,  or  grating  sounds  are 
emitted  from  the  V.F.  Record.  Entirely  British  made 
(like  all  other  products  backed  by  the  name  Edison  Bell), 
the  V.F.  is  made  in  two  sizes — 10  inch  at  3/6  double-sided, 
and  12  inch  at  5/6  double -sided.  Velvet  Face  records  are 
the  sensation  of  the  year — everybody  is  talking  about  them. 
You  have  never  heard  your  gramophone  at  its  best  unless 
you  have  played  V.F.  records  on  it. 

WINNER  RECORDS 

are  of  a  more  popular  nature.  Not  everybody 
wants  classic  music  all  the  time.  Many  grarno- 
phonists  prefer  a  wholesome  leavening  of  present-day  music. 
The  ditties  from  the  halls,  the  up-to-date  dances,  the 
breeziest  band  numbers,  and  other  favourite  melodies. 
The  double -sided  Winner  Record  retailing  at  the  uniform 
price  of  2/6  perfectly  supplies  this  enormous  demand.  The 
Catalogue  of  2,000  Winner  Records  is  constantly  kept 
abreast  of  the  times,  and  includes  all  the  best  and  brightest 
in  song,  band,  and  dance  selections.  ALL  THE  LATEST 
HITS  ARE  ISSUED  ON  WINNERS. 

BELL     RECORDS 

are  especially  designed  for  the  children,  though 
they  are  not  altogether  without  interest  for  the 
adult.  The  little  Bell  Record,  which  measures  5|  inches 
in  diameter,  retails  at  1/3,  and  is  also  double-sided.  It  is 
made  with  the  same  exacting  care  which  characterizes  the 
production  of  the  Winner  Record,  the  specific  difference 
being  that  the  Bell  is  smaller  than  the  Winner  and  that  the 
records  have  more  interest  fur  juveniles  generally. 

EDISON  BELL  RECORDS  ARE  ENTIRELY  BRITISH  MADE 
FULL  CATALOGUE  FROM  ALL  THE  LEADING  DEALERS 

Sole  Manufacturers  : 
J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd.,  Edison  Bell  Works,  London,  S.E.15 


3 


THE   TALKING  MACHINE 
INDUSTRY 


PITMAN'S 

COMMON  COMMODITIES 
AND  INDUSTRIES  SERIES 

Each  book  in  crown  8vo,  illustrated,  3  -  net 


TEA.     By  A.  IBBETSON 
COFFEE.     By  B.  B.  KEABLE 
SUGAR.     By  GEO.  MARTINEAU 
OILS.     By  C.  AINSWORTH  MITCHELL 
WHEAT.     By  ANDREW  MILLAR 
RUBBER.     By  C.  BEADLE  and  H.  P. 

STEVENS 

IRON  AND  STEEL.     By  C.  HOOD 
COPPER.     By  H.  K.  PICARD 
COAL.     By  F.  H.  WILSON 
TIMBER.     By  W.  BULLOCK 
COTTON.     By  R.  J.  PEAKE 
SILK.     By  LUTHER  HOOPER 
WOOL.     By  J.  A.  HUNTER 
LINEN.     By  ALFRED  S.  MOORE 
TOBACCO.     By  A.  E.  TANNER 
LEATHER.     By  K.   J.  ADCOCK 
KNITTED  FABRICS.     By  J.  CHAM- 
BERLAIN and  J.  H.  QUILTER 
CLAYS.     By  ALFRED  S.  SEARLE 
PAPER.     By  HARRY  A.   MADDOX 
SOAP      By  W.  A.  SIMMONS 
THE       MOTOR       INDUSTRY.      By 

HORACE  WYATT 
GLASS.     By  PERCIVAL  MARSON 
GUMS  AND  RESINS.    By  E.  J.  PARRY 
THE  BOOT  AND  SHOE  INDUSTRY. 

By  J.  S.  HARDING 
GAS.     By   W.  H.  Y.  WEBBER 
FURNITURE.     By  H.  E.  BINSTEAD 
COAL  TAR.     By  A.  R.  WARNES 
PETROLEUM.     By  A.   LIDGETT 
SALT.     By  A.  F.  CALVERT 
ZINC.     By  T.  E.  LONES 
PHOTOGRAPHY.     By  WM.  GAMBLE 
ASBESTOS.      By  A.  L.  SUMMERS 
SILVER.     By  BENJAMIN  WHITE 
CARPETS.  By  REGINALD  S.  BRINTON 
PAINTS     AND     VARNISHES.      By 

A.  S.  JENNINGS 

CORDAGE  AND   CORDAGE  HEMP. 

By  T.  WOODHOUSE  and  P.  KILGOUR 

ACIDS  AND  ALKALIS.     By  G.  H.  J. 

ELECTRICITY*.      By   R.    E.    NEALE 
ALUMINIUM.     By  G.  MORTIMER 
GOLD.     By  BENJAMIN  WHITE 
BUTTER  AND  CHEESE.     By  C.  W. 

WALKER-TISDALE  and  JEAN  JONES 
THE  BRITISH  CORN  TRADE.     By 

A.  BARKER 

LEAD.     By  J.   A.   SMYTHE 
ENGRAVING:     By  T.  W.  LASCELLES 
STONES    AND   QUARRIES.     By   J. 

ALLEN   HOWE 


EXPLOSIVES.     By  S.  I.  LEVY 
THE    CLOTHING     INDUSTRY.     By 

B.  W.  POOLE 
TELEGRAPHY,   TELEPHONY,  AND 

WERELESS.    By   J.    POOLE 
PERFUMERY.     By   E.   J.    PARRY 
THE  ELECTRIC  LAMP  INDUSTRY. 

By  G.  ARNCLIFFE  PERCIVAL 
ICE  AND  COLD  STORAGE.  By  B.  H. 

SPRINGETT 

GLOVES.     By  B.  E.  ELLIS 
JUTE.      By     T.     WOODHOUSE     and 

P.  KILGOUR 
DRUGS     IN     COMMERCE.     By     J. 

HUMPHREY 
THE       FILM       INDUSTRY.        By 

DAVIDSON  BOUGHEY 
CYCLE  INDUSTRY.     By  W.  GREW 
SULPHUR.     By  HAROLD   A.  AUDEN 
TEXTILE       BLEACHING.  By 

ALEC  B.  STEVEN 
WINE.     By  ANDRE  L.  SIMON 
IRONFOUNDING.     By  B.  WHITELEY 
COTTON  SPINNING.    By  A.  S.  WADE 
ALCOHOL.     By  C.  SIMMONDS 
CONCRETE  AND  REINFORCED  CON- 
CRETE.    By  W.  N.  TWELVETREES 
SPONGES.     By  E.  J.  J.  CRESSWELL 
WALL  PAPER.      By  G.   WHITELEY 

CLOCKS  AND  WATCHES.    By  G.  L. 

OVERTON 

ANTHRACITE.     By  A.  L.  SUMMERS 
INCANDESCENT    LIGHTING.        By 

S.  I.  LEVY 
THE     FISHING     INDUSTRY.       By 

W.  E.  GIBBS 
OIL  FOR  POWER  PURPOSES.     By 

S.  H.  NORTH 

STARCH.     By  H.  A.  AUDEN 
TALKING      MACHINES.       By      O. 

MITCHELL 

NICKEL.     By  B.  H.  WHITE 
PLAYER  PIANO.      By  D.  M.  WILSON 
INTERNAL  COMBUSTION  ENGINES. 

By  J.  OKILL 
DYES.     By  A.  J.  HALL 
MOTOR  BOATS.     By  F.  STRICKLAND 
VELVET.     By  J.  H.  COOKE 
THE  STRAW  HAT  INDUSTRY.     By 

H.  INWARDS 

BRUSHES.     By  W.  KIDDIER 
PATENT  FUELS.     By  J.  A.  GREENE 

and  F.  MOLLWO  PERKIN 
FURS.     By  J.  C.  SACHS 


41  Smooth  as  Silk  " 

For     clearness     of     tone,     perfect     reproduction, 

and     to     lengthen     the     life     of  your     Records 

WE     RECOMMEND    YOU    TO     USE 

EDISON    BELL 

CHROMIC 
NEEDLES 


Gold-Plated 


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Semi-Permanent,  Gold-Plated 


CHROMIC  NEEDLES  are  manufactured  of 
special  material  after  exhaustive  experiments. 
They  have  been  subjected  to  the  most  critical 
tests,  and  we  confidently  assert  they  are  the 
finest  Gramophone  Needles  in  the  world.  Each 
needle  can  be  used  for  10  records,  and  one  box 
of  100  Chromic  Needles  will  play  1,000  records 


EACH  NEEDLE  PLAYS  TEN  RECORDS 


TO  BE  OBTAINED  FROM  ALL  THE  BEST  DEALERS 


T 
TV*. 


PITMAN'S  COMMON    COMMODITIES 
AND     INDUSTRIES 

THE 

TALKING  MACHINE 
INDUSTRY 

BY 

OGILVIE  MITCHELL 


ASSOCIATE    EDITOR    AND    REVIEWER 
"TALKING    MACHINE    NEWS  " 


LONDON 

SIR    ISAAC    PITMAN    &    SONS,     LTD. 
PARKER   STREET,   KINGSWAY,   W.C.2 

BATH,      MELBOURNE,     TORONTO,      NEW     YORK 


HisMasterS\blce 


The  Symbol 

if 
Supremacy 

On  a  Gramophone 

It  guarantees  a  musical  instrument  of  the 
highest  grade,  beautifully  designed  and 
perfectly  finished  in  every  part. 

On  a  Record 

It  stands  for  the  best  in  music  of  every 
variety.  It  stands  for  the  best  artistes 
of  every  kind,  and  for  the  best  material 
in  the  record. 


The    Gramophone    Co.,   Ltd. 

363=367  Oxford  Street,  London,  W.I 


PREFACE 

IN  writing  this  little  book,  I  have  endeavoured,  as  far 
as  possible,  to  avoid  all  technicalities  and  abstruse 
phraseology.  In  short,  my  aim  has  been  to  make  it 
"  understanded  of  the  people."  For  guidance,  I  have 
dipped  liberally  into  my  friend  Mr.  Henry  Seymour's 
illuminating  volume  entitled  The  Reproduction  of  Sound, 
the  most  valuable  work  on  the  subject  I  know.  Also, 
I  have  delved  into  Tyndall's  Lectures  on  Sound,  and 
have,  of  course,  rummaged  through  the  Encyclopaedia 
Britannica.  Mainly,  however,  I  have  obtained  my 
information  from  back  numbers  of  The  Talking  Machine 
News,  the  oldest  paper  entirely  devoted  to  the  trade  in 
the  world.  It  is  now  entering  upon  the  twentieth  year 
of  its  existence,  and  still  flourishes.  Nor  must  I  fail  to 
acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  Mr.  Chas.  E.  Timms, 
the  indefatigable  secretary  of  the  Association  of  Gramo- 
phone and  Musical  Instrument  Manufacturers  and 
Wholesale  Dealers,  for  his  admirable  account  of  the 
foundation,  rise  and  progress  of  his  association  ;  a  most 
worthy  contribution. 

OGILVIE   MITCHELL. 

1  MITRE  COURT, 

FLEET  STREET,  E.C.4. 


ix 


HisMaster&Vblce 


The  best  music 
recorded  by  the 
greatest  Artistes  can 
only  be  obtained  on 

"His 
Master's 

Voice" 

Gramophone  Records 


The    Gramophone    Co.,   Ltd. 

363=367   Oxford  Street,  London,  W.I 


CONTENTS 


CHAP.  PAGE 

PREFACE  . ix 

I.     A   HISTORICAL   SURVEY           ....  1 

II.     THE  SOUND  WAVE  AND  ITS  CAPTURE      .             .  10 

III.  HOW   THE    TALKING    MACHINE    WAS    BROUGHT 

TO   ENGLAND               .....  22 

IV.  THE    DISC   MACHINE     .....  31 
V.     MOTORS,    SOUND   BOXES,   HORNS,   ETC.    .             .  43 

VI.     HOW  GRAMOPHONE   RECORDS  ARE   MADE           .  62 

VII.     THE    BIG   MANUFACTURING   COMPANIES               .  72 

VIII.     ARTISTS   WHO   MAKE    RECORDS       ...  84 

IX.     GRAMOPHONE  ASSOCIATIONS  AND  SOCIETIES    .  94 

X.     THE   TALKING    MACHINE    AS   TEACHER    .             .  103 

APPENDIX  .  .  .  .  .  .112 

INDEX  118 


XI 


realism,  the  beauty  of  tone,  and  the 
perfect  clearness  of  the  "  Cliftophone  "  are 
impossible  to  imagine  unless  you  have  actually 
heard  it.  The  "  Cliftophone  "  plays  ordinary 
gramophone  records,  but  with  extraordinary 
faithfulness  to  the  original  performance. 

LEFF  POUISHNOFF  (the  celebrated  pianist).—"  I  was 
simply  astounded.  .  .  .  Your  Cliftophone  was  a  real 
delight  to  hear,  and  I  should  like  to  congratulate  you  on  the 
benefit  you  will  confer  on  music-lovers,  all  of  whom  will 
certainly  desire  to  possess  one.  .  .  .  The  illusion  of  reality 
was  there." 

EUGENE  GOOSSENS  (the  talented  composer  and  conduc- 
tor).— "  ....  Amazed  and  delighted  with  your  wonderful 
invention.  For  sheer  volume  and  quality  of  tone  the 
'  Cliftophone  '  is  a  revelation." 

FRANK  BROADBENT  (the  eminent  voice  trainer). — "  I 
want  to  congratulate  you  on  an  immense  stride  in  the 
evolution  of  sound  reproducers.  For  the  first  time  I  have 
heard  beauty  of  vocal  tone,  faithfully  reproduced,  added 
to  an  infinitely  clearer  enunciation  of  the  words." 

Deferred  Payments  arranged  to  suit  every  purchaser, 

A  cordial  invitation  is  extended  to  Music  Lovers  to 
hear  personally  the  beauties  of  the  "  Cliftophone." 
If  unable  to  call  write  for  illustrated  Booklet  "  D." 


THE  CHAPPELL  PIANO  COMPANY,  LTD. 

PIANOFORTE  AND  GRAMOPHONE  SALONS, 

50  NEW  BOND  ST.,  LONDON,  W.i 

TELEPHONE  :    MAYFAIR  3940. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


THE  FIRST  TALKING  MACHINE  IN  THE  WORLD  Frontispiece 

PAGE 

SOUND  WAVES  MAGNIFIED       .          .          .          .          .11 

SOUND  WAVES  MAGNIFIED       .          .          .          .          .12 

MADAME  GALLI-CURCI     ......       20 

AN  ALGRAPHONE    .......       33 

"  HIS  MASTER'S  VOICE  "  PORTABLE  GRAMOPHONE        .       34 
SINGLE  SPRING  MOTOR  WITH  TURNTABLE  .          .       45 

THE   TRIPLE   SPRING    MOTOR    UNIT    OF   A    COLUMBIA 
INSTRUMENT       .......       46 

A  TYPICAL  SOUND  BOX  ......       48 

THE  EXHIBITION  SOUND  BOX  .....       50 

A  TYPICAL  TABLE  GRAND  MODEL  OF  THE  COLUMBIA 
GRAFONOLA         .......       54 

UNUSED  CHROMIC  NEEDLE  RUNNING  IN  GROOVE         .       57 
NEEDLES  SHOWING  WEAR  BY  CONTACT  WITH  RECORD       58 

SIR  HENRY  J.  WOOD  CONDUCTING  THE  NEW  QUEEN'S 
HALL  ORCHESTRA  FOR  A  COLUMBIA  RECORD  .       64 

MADAME   ADELINA    PATTI 85 

CARICATURE  OF  CARUSO  MAKING  A  RECORD,  DRAWN 
BY  HIMSELF        .......       87 

DAME  NELLIE  MELBA      ......       88 

"  HIS  MASTER'S  VOICE  "  GRAMOPHONE  FOR  SCHOOLS  .      106 


Kill 


Let    your    Gramophone    play 
continuously  without  attention 


THE    WORLD    RECORD 
CONTROLLER 

can  Jbe  fixed  to  any  make  of  machine.  It 
controls  the  speed  of  the  record,  enabling  it 
to  run  from  three  to  five  times  as  long  as  an 
ordinary  one  with  one  winding,  keeping  the 
needle  speed  constant. 

The   Controller   slides   off  instantly   for   the 
playing  of  ordinary  records. 

Write  for    Illustrated    Booklet 

World  Record,  Ltd. 

Cromwell  Works,  Mortlake 

London,  S.W.14  

West  End  Showrooms :  2  Piccadilly  Arcade,  London,  W.I 


THE  TALKING  MACHINE 
INDUSTRY 


CHAPTER  I 

A   HISTORICAL   SURVEY 

TALKING  machine  is  by  no  means  an  idea]  name  for  an 
invention  which  is  now  recognized  by  the  most  com- 
petent authorities  as  a  true  musical  instrument.  It 
is,  however,  the  most  comprehensive  term  which  has  yet 
been  found,  for  it  embraces  every  type  of  apparatus 
that  has,  up  to  now,  been  employed  in  the  reproduction 
of  sound.  Talking,  indeed,  is  but  a  minor  function  of 
the  mechanism  used  at  present,  but  it  is  not  at  all 
improbable  that  the  future  will  wicness  wider  develop- 
ments in  an  educational  direction  which  will  render  this 
somewhat  incongruous  name  more  applicable.  In  the 
United  States  of  America  the  talking  machine  has  been 
for  some  years  an  important  factor  in  the  education  of 
the  young.  There  is  scarcely  a  school  from  Maine  to 
New  Orleans  or  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  into 
which  the  gramophone  or  phonograph  has  not  been 
introduced.  Later,  in  its  proper  place  in  our  handbook, 
this  aspect  of  the  invention  will  be  discussed. 

In  the  earliest  ages  primitive  man  was  imbued  with 
the  notion  that  inanimate  objects  could  at  times  give 
forth  vocal  utterance,  and  among  remote  savage  tribes 
at  the  present  day  the  belief  still  holds  good.  By  its 
means  the  medicine  man  and  the  witch  doctor  impose 
upon  the  less  astute  members  of  the  community.  In 
like  manner  the  sibyls  and  soothsayers  of  antiquity 

1 


2  THE    TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

duped  the  populace.  The  world- old  spurious  tales  of 
the  voices  of  the  gods,  commanding  and  threatening 
from  rocks,  caverns  and  waterfalls,  were  foisted  upon 
the  believers,  and  the  cunning  ones  waxed  fat  and 
prosperous.  The  belief  in  such  manifestations 
was  universal,  and  the  truth  of  them  accepted  as 
incontrovertible. 

There  is  no  record  that  the  Sphinx  ever  spoke,  but 
modern  excavations  in  the  interior  of  that  strange 
monument  of  the  past  have  revealed  that,  from  a  cham- 
ber in  the  head,  it  might  have  been  quite  possible  for 
the  priests  to  have  answered  the  questions  put  by  an 
expectant  multitude  by  means  of  a  megaphone  or  some 
such  sound  amplifying  contrivance. 

From  that  mysterious  land  of  Egypt  comes  the  first 
corroborated  account  of  vocal  sound  issuing  from  a 
thing  without  life.  More  than  1,500  years  before  the 
beginning  of  the  Christian  era  there  existed  an  Egyptian 
monarch  named  Thothmes  III,  who  had  a  son  Amenophis 
III,  of.  the  XVIIIth  Dynasty,  who  ruled  from  the  Nile 
to  the  Euphrates.  Besides  being  a  great  ruler, 
Amenophis  was  a  great  builder,  and  founded  Luxor,  the 
Egyptian  Thebes.  He  also  added  largely  to  Karnak. 
Possibly  he  might  be  identified  with  the  Memnon, 
Prince  of  Ethiopia,  who  went  to  the  aid  of  the  Trojans 
against  the  Greeks  and  was  slain  by  Achilles,  but  this 
is  mere  speculation,  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  our 
survey.  At  Thebes  a  mighty  temple  was  erected, 
with  twin  colossi  at  the  gates  carved  out  of  black  basalt. 
It  is  certainly  strange  that  in  the  Greek  heroic  story 
Memnon  is  spoken  of  as  black,  and  his  head  after  death 
is  said  to  have  prophesied,  thus  giving  ground  for  the 
supposition  that  the  Trojan  ally  and  the  Egyptian 
Pharoah  were  identical  ;  but  again  we  are  straying. 
One  of  the  colossal  statues  at  Thebes  has  been  from 


A    HISTORICAL    SURVEY  3 

time  immemorial  denominated  Memnon,  which  would 
possibly  be  the  Greek  form  of  Amenophis,  and  from  the 
head  of  this  statue  at  dawn  issued  strange  sounds. 
It  was  not,  however,  until  the  Roman  occupation  of 
Egypt  that  we  get  any  distinct  description  of  the 
character  of  the  noises.  Strabo  heard  them  in  company 
with  Aelius  Gallus  and  several  of  his  friends,  while 
Pausanias  says,  one  would  compare  the  sound  more 
nearly  to  the  broken  chord  of  a  harp  or  lute.  Juvenal 
and  Tacitus  also  refer  to  the  "  vocal  Memnon."  These 
are  all  fairly  credible  authorities,  so  that  we  must  not 
dismiss  the  ancient  story  with  a  sneer.  Our  own 
Byron  did  not,  for  he  sings  of  "  The  Ethiop  King  whose 
statue  turns  a  harper  once  a  day."  From  the  descrip- 
tion by  Pausanias  we  find  that  the  sounds  were  more 
musical  than  articulate.  The  statue,  which  was 
shattered  by  an  earthquake  27  B.C.,  was  restored 
A.D.  174,  but  whether  the  workmen  engaged  upon 
the  restoration  removed  the  vocal  mechanism  or 
destroyed  some  portion  of  the  head  from  which  the 
sounds  proceeded,  will  never  be  known.  All  that  can 
be  said  is  that,  since  the  latter  year,  the  bust  has 
maintained  a  discreet  silence. 

Many  theories  have  been  advanced  to  account  for 
the  sonorous  property  of  old  Memnon,  but  all  have 
failed  to  supply  a  satisfactory  solution.  The  most 
probable,  in  our  estimation,  would  be  that  the  early 
morning  breeze  acted  upon  some  hollow  in  the  head  and 
so  produced  the  harp-like  twanging  which  attracted 
the  attention  of  listeners.  In  restoring  the  statue 
this  hollow  may  have  been  blocked  up. 

From  Egypt  to  China  is  a  long  step,  yet,  if  we  are  to 
trace  things  in  their  proper  chronological  order,  it  is  to 
the  latter  country  that  we  must  now  wing  our  way. 
The  path  may  be  faint  and  shadowy,  and  the  light 

2— (1466E) 


4  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

but  a  weak  glimmer,  yet  we  shall  follow  it  as  faithfully 
as  we  can. 

The  Chinese  seem  to  have  developed  a  totally  indepen- 
dent civilization.  Cut  off  as  they  were  by  huge  mountain 
ranges,  vast  deserts  and  wide  ocean  gulfs  from  the 
gradually  progressive  races  of  Western  Asia  and  the 
Eastern  Mediterranean,  they  set  to  work  to  build  up 
among  themselves  a  system  of  culture  which  differed 
entirely  from  that  of  other  nations  then  slowly  emerging 
out  of  the  dark.  Their  language,  their  customs,  their 
religion  (Ancestor  worship  is  believed  to  have  been  the 
original  teaching  until  Taoism,  Confucianism  and 
Buddhism  arrived)  had  no  connection  whatsoever  with 
Western  evolution.  They  were  the  same  two  thousand 
years  ago  as  they  were  until  Europeans  in  the  middle 
of  the  last  century  pierced  the  bulwarks  the  Yellow 
Man  had  erected  against  the  rest  of  the  world.  Even 
to  the  present  day  the  bulk  of  the  population  remain 
adverse  to  foreign  interference.  Yet,  in  arts  and  several 
of  the  sciences,  the  Chinese  were  in  early  days  much  in 
advance  of  the  Westerner.  They  lay  claim  to  having 
had  a  knowledge  of  various  inventions  and  discoveries 
long  before  these  became  the  property  of  other  peoples. 
What  wonder,  then,  that  the  talking  machine,  when  it 
appeared,  was  regarded  by  the  Chinaman  with  his 
inscrutable  smile. 

Sir  Robert  Hart,  than  whom  no  Englishman  ever 
understood  China  with  greater  comprehension,  having 
spent  the  best  part  of  his  life  there  in  an  official  capacity, 
relates  the  following  story.  Fifty  years  before  the 
first  talking  machine  was  seen  in  Pekin,  he  was  one  day 
in  conversation  with  Kwang  Tung,  the  Governor  of 
that  city.  This  Peacock-feather  Mandarin  was  a  very 
learned  pundit,  well  versed  in  all  the  lore  of  his  coun- 
try, and  he  informed  Sir  Robert  that  an  ancient  book, 


A   HISTORICAL    SURVEY  5 

some  two  thousand  years  old,  contained  the  record  of  a 
most  curious  box.  At  least  a  thousand  years  before  the 
book  was  written  a  certain  Chinese  prince  was  in  the 
habit  of  communicating  with  another,  who  lived  in  a 
district  far  apart.  It  was  necessary  that  this  correspon- 
dence should  be  kept  secret,  so  the  prince  spoke  his 
messages  into  a  strange  box  which  he  sent  by  a  trusty 
bearer  to  his  distant  friend.  When  this  friend  opened 
the  box,  he  could  actually  hear  the  voice  of  the  prince 
speaking  the  words  that  had  been  originally  spoken  so 
far  away.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  conversa- 
tion between  Kwang  Tung  and  Sir  Robert  Hart  took 
place  before  the  talking  machine,  as  we  know  it,  was 
invented.  The  tale  is  almost  uncanny,  but  the  word  of 
Sir  Robert  is  not  to  be  doubted.  Had  the  Chinese 
evolved  the  secret  of  the  talking  machine  three  thousand 
years  before  it  was  dreamt  of  by  Cros  or  Edison  ? 

We  must  now  travel  long  ages  through  the  misty 
corridors  of  time  before  we  gain  intelligence  of  any 
further  reproduction  of  vocal  sound.  In  the  thirteenth 
century  lived  Roger  Bacon,  the  famous  Franciscan  monk, 
He  was  an  Englishman,  born  in  Worcestershire,  who 
studied  at  Oxford,  and  there  can  be  little  doubt  he  was  a 
man  far  in  advance  of  his  age.  By  his  strictures  on  the 
pretentious  ignorance  of  his  fellow  monks  he  incurred 
the  bitter  hatred  of  the  Church,  and  was  imprisoned  for 
fourteen  years  in  France.  Many  important  discoveries 
and  inventions  are  attributed  to  him,  but  not  all  of 
them  on  a  solid  basis  of  fact.  Gunpowder,  for  instance, 
was  said  to  have  been  invented  by  him,  whereas  it 
was  known  to  the  Arabs  who  got  it  from  China, 
before  his  day.  However,  with  that  we  have  nothing 
to  do. 

Among  other  mechanical  contrivances  with  which 
he  has  been  credited  was  the  construction  of  a  talking 


6  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

machine.  It  was  said  to  have  spoken  three  words  and 
then  relapsed  into  silence,  which  it  could  not  be  induced 
again  to  break.  In  those  superstitious  days  it  was  no 
wonder  that  he  was  denounced  as  having  been  in  league 
with  the  Evil  One,  for  the  devil  at  that  period  was  given 
a  good  deal  more  than  his  due.  We  are  afraid,  however, 
that  the  story  is  apocryphal,  for  the  Encyclopaedia 
Britannica  tells  us  that  careful  research  has  shown 
that  very  little  in  the  department  of  mechanical  discovery 
can  with  accuracy  be  ascribed  to  him.  So  much,  then, 
for  the  Roger  Bacon  tale. 

Albertus  Magnus,  Provincial  of  the  Dominicans  at 
Cologne  in  the  thirteenth  century,  is  also  credited  with 
the  construction  of  a  brazen  head  that  spoke.  It  is 
told  that  he  worked  at  it  for  forty  years  and  that  then 
it  was  smashed  to  atoms  by  his  more  famous  pupil, 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  who  committed  the  act  in  order 
to  show  to  the  world  the  futility  of  man's  labour,  when 
in  one  minute  he  could  destroy  that  which  had  taken 
the  greater  part  of  a  lifetime  to  build  up. 

Some  three  hundred  years  later  one  Vaucanson  put 
together  a  famous  duck  which  attracted  extraordinary 
attention.  This  curious  automaton  quacked  like  the 
live  bird,  flapped  its  wings,  gobbled  grain  and  performed 
various  other  feats  which  drew  crowds  to  witness  its 
vagaries.  It  was,  of  course,  nothing  more  than  a 
mechanical  toy,  but  four  hundred  years  ago  it  was  a 
wonder  of  the  world. 

This  Vaucanson,  who  was  a  Parisian  of  good  birth, 
was  a  most  ingenious  fellow,  for,  besides  the  duck,  he 
contrived  a  mechanical  flute-player  nearly  6  ft.  in  height. 
The  figure  held  the  instrument  to  its  lips  and  moved  the 
fingers  upon  the  stops  while  the  flute  gave  forth  familiar 
airs.  We  are  not  informed  where  the  breath  came 
from,  but  probably  it  was  supplied  by  some  bellows 


A   HISTORICAL    SURVEY  7 

arrangement  like  that  employed  by  Faber  in  his  speaking 
automaton  of  1860. 

Then,  in  1632,  came  a  remarkable  prototype  of  the 
fabulous  Baron  Munchausen.  This  was  a  ship  captain, 
named  Vasterlock,  who  had  sailed  the  southern  seas 
as  far  as  the  Straits  of  Magellan  and  had  a  marvellous 
yarn  to  tell.  He  related,  with  solemn  countenance, 
that  the  natives  of  that  stormy  region  grew  a  wonderful 
sponge,  which,  when  spoken  into,  retained  in  its  cells  the 
voice  of  the  speaker.  To  reproduce  the  speech  one  had 
only  to  squeeze  the  sponge  and  the  accents  were  heard 
distinctly.  Such  was  the  ignorance  of  the  period  that 
many  persons  actually  believed  him. 

The  real  Cyrano  de  Bergerac,  who  was  a  living  per- 
sonage, a  poet  and  author  of  remarkable  ability  and 
genius,  and  not  the  fictitious  hero  of  a  play,  as  too  many 
who  have  recently  witnessed  a  very  fine  perfor- 
mance have  been  apt  to  suppose — the  real  Cyrano,  in 
his  book  L'  Histoires  Comiques  des  Etats  de  la  Lune, 
published  in  1654,  shadowed  forth  an  instrument 
which  came  very  close  in  description  to  our  modern 
talking  machine.  Poor  de  Bergerac  was  a  man  of  vast 
imagination,  and  had  he  combined  it  with  constructive 
power,  we  might  have  had  gramophones  two  hundred 
and  fifty  years  ago. 

There  is  a  curious  story  which  we  read  in  an  American 
paper  not  long  since,  but  have  been  unable  to  verify. 
It  concerns  John  Wesley,  the  eminent  founder  of  the 
religious  sect  bearing  his  name,  and,  if  true,  would 
show  that  a  big  stride  had  been  taken  in  his  time  towards 
the  production  of  vocal  sounds  by  mechanical  means. 
Wesley  was  on  one  of  his  long  preaching  tours,  and  had 
crossed  to  Ireland.  In  a  small  town  of  the  West  he  came 
upon  a  poor  clock-maker,  who  showed  him  an  extra- 
ordinary timepiece  that  the  man  had  constructed 


8  THE   TALKING    MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

with  his  own  hands.  Instead  of  striking  the  hours,  it 
announced  them  in  deep,  sonorous  tones  exactly  like 
the  sound  of  a  human  voice.  The  preacher  marvelled 
greatly,  and  asked  the  man  why  he  had  not  exploited 
his  invention.  The  reply  was  that  poverty  prevented 
him,  he  had  not  even  the  means  to  purchase  the  materials 
to  produce  another  clock  on  the  same  lines.  Wesley 
gave  him  all  the  money  he  could  spare,  which  was  not 
much,  and  rode  away.  A  few  years  later  the  great 
preacher  was  in  Ireland  again,  and  looked  up  his  old 
friend  the  clock-maker.  Alas  !  there  was  a  great 
change.  Sunk  into  abject  misery,  his  hopes,  which  had 
once  been  high,  had  given  place  to  despair.  The  clock 
was  there,  but  utterly  ruined  by  neglect,  and  the  old 
man's  mind  was  tottering  on  the  verge  of  collapse. 
Sadly  Wesley  left  him,  and  that  is  how  the  story  ends. 
If  true,  it  is  only  another  instance  of  the  futility  of 
genius  unassisted  by  substantial  means. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  there 
appears  to  have  been  something  very  like  a  craze  for 
the  imitation  of  human  speech  by  mechanical  methods. 
In  1779  an  inventor  named  Kratzenstein  produced  a 
machine  by  which  the  vowel  sounds  were  automatically 
pronounced.  This  was  accomplished  by  forcing  air 
through  a  reed  into  different  hollows  or  cavities  of 
varying  size.  It  does  not  seem,  however,  to  have  been 
a  great  success. 

A  more  ingenious  affair  was  that  of  Kempelin,  which 
attracted  the  attention  of  Sir  David  Brewster,  who,  by 
the  way,  was  the  first  man  to  prophesy  that,  eventually, 
a  medium  for  the  artificial  production  of  speech  would 
be  discovered.  Kempelin 's  invention  was  more 
elaborate  than  that  of  Kratzenstein.  Based  very 
much  on  the  same  principle,  it  was  restricted  to  a 
single  cavity  dexterously  acted  upon  by  the  hand. 


A    HISTORICAL    SURVEY  9 

Subsequently  it  was  improved  until  it  could  be 
made  to  pronounce  a  whole  sentence.  The  words 
have  not  been  vouchsafed  to  us,  but  we  suspect  they 
were  rather  crude  in  tone  and  articulation. 

The  most  perfect  vocal  automaton  ever  produced 
was,  undoubtedly,  that  of  Faber,  who  completed  it  in 
1860.  This  marvellous  machine  was  constructed  on 
anatomical  lines  analogous  to  those  governing  the 
production  of  the  human  voice.  The  lungs  were 
represented  by  a  keyboard  in  the  trunk,  from  which  air 
was  forced  through  tubes  in  the  throat  to  play  upon 
ivory  reeds  which  took  the  place  of  the  vocal  chords. 
In  the  larynx  a  small  wheel  was  inserted  to  control  the 
roll  of  the  R,  and  a  rubber  tongue,  with  lips  of  the 
same  material,  enunciated  the  consonants.  It  was  a 
triumph  of  mechanical  skill,  but  from  what  we  have 
read  regarding  it,  the  sounds  it  gave  forth  were  utterly 
unlike  those  of  anything  human. 

From  all  that  we  can  gather  this  was  the  last  attempt 
made  to  imitate  the  speech  of  mankind  by  an  artificial 
device.  For  several  centuries  persons  had  been  striving 
to  produce  vocal  sounds  to  mimic  the  voice  of  nature  in 
man  or  the  lower  animals.  The  idea  of  reproduction 
of  sound  had  never  occurred  to  a  single  soul,  though  it 
was  strange  that  the  echo,  which  had  fastened  upon 
the  minds  of  the  old  Greeks,  had  not  taken  a  grip 
of  later  thinkers.  In  the  echo  is  the  actual  basis  of  the 
talking  machine,  for  it  is  the  sound-wave  impinging 
upon  a  substance  and  being  thrown  back  therefrom, 
while,  by  the  recording  process,  the  wave  is  seized  upon 
and  held  for  future  reproduction. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE   SOUND   WAVE   AND   ITS   CAPTURE 

WHAT  is  sound  ?  Asked  suddenly  in  a  company  of 
ordinary  middle-class  people  we  doubt  if  the  question 
would  be  immediately  answered.  The  same  result 
would  most  likely  ensue  were  a  similar  query  propounded 
in  regard  to  sight,  taste  or  smell,  but  as  sound  is  the 
subject  on  which  we  are  at  present  engaged  we  will 
pursue  that  alone.  The  correct  answer  to  the  inquiry 
would  be  that  sound  is  a  sensation  produced  by  the 
vibratory  impact  of  the  air  upon  the  external  tympanum, 
or  drum,  of  the  ear,  whence  it  is  conveyed  by  an  internal 
process  to  the  brain.  By  no  possibility  could  the  sound 
be  heard  without  the  air  or  some  less  important  body 
acting  as  a  medium.  As  far  back  as  1705,  Hawksbee 
made  experiments  which  proved  this.  In  a  vacuum  the 
sound  of  a  bell  could  not  be  heard.  Water  is  a  much 
better  conductor  than  air,  but  the  atmosphere  by  which 
we  are  constantly  surrounded,  being  the  body  most 
easily  and  most  conveniently  set  in  motion,  is  the  unfail- 
ing means  of  exciting  that  sensation  which  we  call  sound. 
We  now  perceive  that  there  can  be  no  sound  without 
motion.  Take  an  ordinary  glass  and  strike  it  with 
some  hard  substance  so  that  it  gives  forth  an  audible 
note,  then,  very  gently  bring  your  finger  into  contact 
with  the  rim  and  you  will  feel  a  tremor  as  long  as  the 
sound  lasts.  If,  however,  you  press  your  finger  upon  the 
edge,  so  as  to  stop  the  vibration,  the  sound  ceases.  It 
is  a  very  simple  illustration,  but  it  conveys  almost  all 
that  need  be  said  on  this  branch  of  the  subject. 

Air  is  entirely  composed   of  myriads  upon  myriads 
10 


THE   SOUND   WAVE   AND   ITS   CAPTURE  11 

of  particles,  and  when  these  atoms  are  agitated  they 
jostle  each  other  and,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  form 
themselves  into  wavelets.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
bring  forward  the  oft-quoted  simile  of  the  stone  thrown 


Horn  waves 


Higher 


Cornet  Waves 


\p!\jW|^^ 

By  the  courtesy  of  the  Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd. 

SOUND   WAVES   MAGNIFIED 

into  the  pond  causing  ripples  to  illustrate  this  simple 
fact.  Chladni,  whose  Treatise  on  Acoustics  was  pub- 
lished in  Paris  in  1809,  demonstrated  the  unerring 
formation  of  sound  waves  by  scattering  sand  on  metal 


Waves 

Oboe  Waves 

i     *•"  t     ~-  •     ^ 

By  the  courtesy  of  the  Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd. 

SOUND   WAVES   MAGNIFIED 

plates  and  subjecting  it  to  the  vibrations  caused  by 
harmonious  notes  struck  on  musical  instruments. 
Tyndall  in  his  Lectures  on  Sound  informs  us  that  a 
somewhat  similar  experiment  was  performed  by 
Lichtenberg  before  Chladni 's  time.  An  electrified 
powder  and  resin  cakes  were  used,  and  the  disposition 


12  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

of  the  powder  showed  the  effect  of  the  electricity  upon 
the  surface  of  the  cakes. 

About  the  same  date  as  Chladni,  Duhamel  was 
engaged  upon  experiments  which  made  the  nearest 
approach  to  the  phonograph  that  had  then  been  dis- 
covered. This  earnest  worker  found  it  practicable  to 
record  the  sonorous  signs  by  means  of  a  revolving 
cylinder  and  papers  smeared  with  lamp-black.  A  little 
later  the  Due  de  Leon,  in  his  letters,  supported  the  claim 
of  a  German  artisan  to  have  successfully  reproduced 


By  the  courtesy  of  the  Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd. 

SOUND   WAVES   MAGNIFIED 

By  adding  together  the  violin  and  clarinet  waves  we  get  the 
resultant  wave  which  the  ear  receives  and  analyses 

the  human  voice  by  mechanical  means.  That  is  all  we 
know  about  it,  however,  no  further  reference  to  the 
machine  having  been  found.  Another  step  towards 
reproduction  of  sound  was  made  by  Eisenmanger,  of 
Paris,  who,  in  1836,  secured  an  English  patent  for 
registering  pianoforte  music  by  the  use  of  carbonized 
paper  and  a  depressed  stylus. 

Inventors  were  now  getting  warm,  as  the  children 
say  in  their  game.  The  hidden  secret  of  reproduction 
was  being  tracked  down,  but  it  was  still  elusive. 

Twenty  years  after  Eisenmanger's  invention,  M.  Leon 
Scott  de  Martinville  came  very  close  to  it  with  his 
device,  "  The  Phonautograph."  Scott  was  a  descendant 


THE   SOUND   WAVE   AND   ITS   CAPTURE  13 

of  one  of  those  intense  Jacobites  who  had  followed  the 
unhappy  fortunes  of  King  James  II,  when  he  fled  to 
France  and  cast  himself  on  the  bounty  of  the  French 
monarch.  Few — some  say  only  one — of  those  mis- 
guided Scotsmen  ever  returned,  and  it  is  certain  that 
Scott's  ancestor  never  did,  for  the  family  for  generations 
had  been  recognized  as  purely  French.  Following  up 
Duhamel's  discovery  of  half  a  century  before,  this 
Frenchman  with  the  Caledonian  name  evolved  his 
"  Phonautograph,"  but  being  pressed  for  money,  as  so 
many  inventors  are,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  one 
Kcenig,  who  provided  the  sinews  of  war. 

For  a  description  of  Scott's  machine  we  will  quote 
from  our  friend  Mr.  Henry  Seymour's  valuable  work 
entitled  The  Reproduction  of  Sound — 

"  The  method  employed  by  Scott  was  to  support  a 
roller,  having  an  extended  spindle  through  its  centre 
and  forming  its  axis,  upon  two  standards  or  supports, 
one  extension  of  the  spindle  being  furnished  with  a 
thread  to  engage  with  a  corresponding  female  thread  in 
one  of  the  standards.  A  small  handle  attached  to  one 
end  of  the  spindle  enabled  the  drum  to  be  revolved  at 
any  desired  speed,  the  traverse  movement  to  provide 
clearance  being,  of  course,  provided  by  the  threaded 
spindle.  The  drum  was  covered  with  a  sheet  of  paper, 
the  surface  of  which  was  prepared  with  lamp-black  ; 
and  at  the  perimeter  of  the  same  was  placed  a  diaphragm 
of  parchment  held  by  a  short  piece  of  brass  tube,  upon 
one  end  of  which  it  was  stretched  in  the  fashion  of  a 
drum-head,  the  other  end  of  the  tube  being  connected 
to  a  focusing  chamber  or  barrel,  made  from  plaster  of 
Paris.  Upon  the  centre  of  the  flexible  diaphragm  was 
fixed  with  sealing  wax  a  stubby  hog's  bristle  ;  when  the 
drum  was  revolved  the  bristle  was  in  intimate  contact 
with  its  carbonized  surface,  and  removed  the  particles 


14  THE   TALKING  MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

of  lamp-black  with  which  it  came  in  contact,  leaving  a 
distinct  marking.  It  was  found  when  no  sound  was 
directed  into  the  barrel  or  focusing  chamber,  and  the 
drum  was  revolved  at  any  speed,  only  a  straight  line 
was  marked  upon  the  paper  ;  but  when  the  drum  was 
revolved  at  a  given  speed  and  sounds  of  various  charac- 
ters were  concentrated  in  the  direction  of  the  flexible 
diaphragm,  the  marking  or  line  would  assume  a  wave- 
like  form,  and  that  these  peculiar  sinuosities  varied  in 
size  and  frequency  as  the  sounds  of  speech  differed  in 
character.  In  fine,  the  waves  varied  with  the  pitch  and 
intensity  of  the  sound,  but  were  invariably  constant  for 
the  same  sound." 

Here,  then,  was  a  complete  machine  for  the  recording 
of  the  human  voice,  but  it  lacked  the  means  of  repro- 
duction. The  voice  was  there  on  the  paper,  but  it 
could  not  be  sent  back  through  the  plaster  of  Paris 
chamber.  You  could  see  the  voice  but  you  could  not 
hear  it.  The  Encyclopaedia  Britannica  states  that  the 
screw  for  the  traverse  movement  was  the  invention  of 
Kcenig,  but  as  Scott  and  he  were  jointly  engaged  upon  the 
work,  and  Scott  had  constructed  the  machine  before 
Kcenig  had  anything  to  do  with  it,  we  may  take  it  that 
the  credit  for  the  whole  should  belong  to  the  original 
inventor. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  British  Association  in  1859,  the 
Phonautograph  was  exhibited  and  attracted  a  good 
deal  of  attention.  The  Prince  Consort  was  then  President 
of  the  Association  and  took  a  great  interest  in  the 
machine,  demonstrating  it  to  Queen  Victoria,  who  was 
equally  interested. 

Although  nothing  actually  useful  came  from  the 
invention  of  Scott  at  the  time,  it  turned  the  minds  of 
scientists  in  a  new  direction,  and  the  vibratory 
diaphragm  was  taken  up  and  experimented  upon  by 


THE   SOUND   WAVE   AND   ITS   CAPTURE  15 

those  with  some  knowledge  of  acoustics.  Among 
others  was  Philip  Reiss,  of  Friedrichsdorf,  who  proved 
that  the  voice  could  be  transmitted  frpm  one  diaphragm 
to  another  by  means  of  an  electrified  wire  conveying 
a  current.  This  was  the  first  crude  telephone.  A 
Scotsman,  Alexander  Graham  Bell,  working  on  the  same 
lines  as  Reiss,  made  several  wonderful  advances,  while 
Gray  and  others  effected  some  important  improvements, 
until  the  telephone  as  we  see  it  to-day  came  into  being. 
One  development  followed  another,  and  there  can  be 
no  question  that  from  the  telephone  sprang  the 
phonograph. 

In  regard  to  the  coining  of  the  word  "  phonograph," 
we  believe  the  credit  is  due  to  a  Mr.  Fenby,  who,  in 
1863,  took  out  a  patent  for  the  electrical  recording  and 
reproducing  of  sound,  and  registered  his  instrument 
by  that  name.  What  became  of  this  invention  we  cannot 
tell,  but  most  probably  it  went  into  that  limbo  which  is 
specially  reserved  for  the  countless  products  of  clever 
men's  brains.  Mr.  Seymour  tells  us  that  it  was 
altogether  different  in  conception  and  function  from 
the  Edison  machine. 

And  now  the  mention  of  that  magic  name  leads  us 
on  to  the  great  discovery  of  the  secret  after  which  men 
had  been  hankering  for  so  many  years.  There  has  been 
considerable  dispute  in  respect  to  Edison's  claim  as 
inventor  of  the  talking  machine.  Certain  it  is  that, 
in  April,  1877,  M.  Charles  Cros,  of  Paris,  deposited  with 
the  French  Academy  of  Sciences  the  description  of  a 
machine  almost  identical  with  that  in  the  specification 
of  the  patent  which  was  not  applied  for  by  Edison  till 
the  following  year.  The  question  then  arises:  Was  it 
possible  for  Edison  to  have  known  of  the  Cros  descrip- 
tion ?  We  think  not,  though  many  have  maintained  a 
contrary  opinion.  It  is  a  moot  point  which  has  never 


16  THE    TALKING   MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

been  satisfactorily  decided,  but  we  are  inclined  to 
believe  that  the  balance  of  the  evidence  rests  in  Edison's 
favour.  Was  not  the  appearance  of  the  star  Neptune 
predicted  by  two  astronomers,  French  and  English,  for 
the  same  hour,  and  the  prediction  made  simultaneously  ? 
Were  not  Darwin  and  Wallace  working  on  the  same  lines 
in  biology  for  years  and  drawing  the  same  conclusions 
without  either  of  them  knowing  it  ?  When  such 
coincidences  have  been  recorded  and  confirmed,  is  it 
incapable  of  belief  that  Cros  and  Edison  could  have 
made  a  simultaneous  discovery  ? 

There  are  different  stories  of  how  the  secret  of  sound 
reproduction  was  revealed,  but  all  of  them  point  to  an 
accident.  The  most  popular  tale  is  that  supposed  to 
have  been  told  by  Mr.  Edison  himself.  "  I  was  singing 
to  the  mouthpiece  of  a  telephone,"  it  runs,  "  when  the 
vibration  of  the  voice  sent  the  fine  steel  point  into  my 
finger.  This  set  me  thinking.  If  I  could  record  the 
actions  of  the  point  over  the  same  surface  afterwards 
I  saw  no  reason  why  the  thing  would  not  talk.  I  tried 
the  experiment  first  on  a  slip  of  telegraph  paper  and 
found  that  the  point  made  an  alphabet.  I  shouted 
the  words  :  '  Halloo  !  Halloo  !  '  into  the  mouthpiece, 
ran  the  paper  back  over  the  steel  point,  and  heard  a 
faint  '  Halloo  !  Halloo  !  '  in  return.  I  there  and  then 
determined  to  make  a  machine  which  would  work 
accurately.  That's  the  whole  story,  and  this  happened 
in  77." 

Mr.  Seymour,  in  his  book  already  referred  to,  gives 
a  much  more  scientific  version  of  the  discovery,  but  it 
is  not  necessary  to  trouble  the  reader  with  it  here, 
since  it  is  our  endeavour  to  render  our  little  work  as 
free  from  abstruse  technicalities  as  possible. 

Having  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  the  construc- 
tion of  a  talking  machine  came  within  the  bounds  of 


THE    SOUND    WAVE    AND    ITS    CAPTURE  17 

probability,  Edison  lost  no  time  in  setting  to  work  upon 
it.  There  can  be  no  doubt  he  knew  all  about  Leon 
Scott's  invention,  for  he  began  where  Scott  left  off.  The 
roller  or  drum  principle  for  making  the  record  was 
freely  adapted  from  the  phonautograph,  and  the  feed 
device,  said  to  have  been  invented  by  Kcenig  on  Scott's 
machine,  was  also  used.  There,  however,  to  a  great 
extent,  the  similarity  ended.  The  means  employed  to 
obtain  the  record  were  different.  Edison's  roller  was 
spirally  grooved,  and  instead  of  the  paper  and  lamp- 
black previously  used,  tinfoil  was  substituted  as  a 
covering  for  the  drum.  The  hog's  bristle  on  the  dia- 
phragm gave  place  to  a  steel  point  which  made  indenta- 
tions on  the  tinfoil  when  the  drum  was  revolved  and 
the  diaphragm  was  caused  to  vibrate  by  sound.  These 
indentations  were,  of  course,  very  minute  and  followed 
the  grooves  on  the  roller  in  irregular  fashion,  some 
deeper  than  others,  with  varying  distances  between, 
corresponding  with  the  strength  and  frequency  of  the 
sounds  uttered  into  the  focusing-chamber.  When  the 
needle  was  again  made  to  traverse  the  indented  path, 
reconveying  the  vibrations  to  the  diaphragm,  the 
original  sounds  were  reproduced.  The  great  secret  was 
a  secret  no  longer.  The  reproduction  of  the  human 
voice  had  been  achieved. 

At  first  the  sounds  were  faint  and  unnatural,  but  the 
enlargement  of  the  focusing-chamber  into  an  amplifying 
horn  bore  its  fruit  in  increased  distinctness,  nevertheless 
the  whole  comtraption  was  exceedingly  crude.  A 
detailed  description,  giving  dimensions,  runs  as  follows  : 
The  machine  consisted  of  a  brass  drum,  4  ins.  in  length 
and  3-4  ins.  in  diameter,  carried  on  a  screw  shaft  which 
advanced  -1  for  each  revolution.  The  surface  of  the 
drum  was  traversed  by  a  narrow  groove  of  -1  in.,  and  was 
covered  with  tinfoil.  At  right  angles  to  the  axis  was 


18  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

fixed  a  tube  closed  at  the  end  nearest  the  drum  by  a 
thin  ferrotype  plate,  which  had  at  its  centre  a  projecting 
stylus.  The  vibrations  of  the  plate  caused  the  stylus 
to  indent  the  unsupported  tinfoil  as  the  cylinder 
revolved.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  drum  was  another 
tube,  closed  at  its  outer  end  by  a  paper  diaphragm  from 
the  centre  of  which  a  light  rod  passed  to  a  rounded 
pin,  which  a  spring  carried  close  to  the  tinfoil  surface. 
On  the  drum  being  rotated  and  the  pin  brought  into 
contact  with  the  indented  foil,  the  sounds  which 
had  caused  the  vibration  of  the  ferrotype  plate  were 
reproduced. 

Very  soon  it  was  found  that  the  hand-crank  gave 
an  irregular  motion  to  the  mandril,  and  Edison  cast 
about  for  some  mechanism  which  would  overcome 
this.  Water  and  electricity  were  both  tried,  the  latter 
being  definitely  adopted  and  holding  the  sway  until 
1894,  when  Mr.  T.  H.  Macdonald,  the  factory  manager 
of  the  American  Graphophone  Company,  succeeded  in 
producing  a  clock-work  motor.  This  met  with  general 
approval,  but  was  surpassed  by  a  motor  previously 
made  in  England  by  the  late  Mr.  Fitch,  of  Goswell 
Road,  London,  a  most  ingenious  invention,  with  a 
delicate  governing  apparatus.  It  is  the  model  which 
forms  the  basis  for  all  the  more  modern  motors  used  as 
the  driving  force  for  every  kind  of  cylinder  machine. 

As  a  man  of  action  Edison  hastened  to  apply  for  a 
patent.  His  claims  for  the  potentialities  of  his  inven- 
tion are  worthy  of  note  :  (1)  Letter  writing  and  all 
kinds  of  dictation  without  the  aid  of  a  stenographer  ; 
(2)  Phonographic  books,  which  will  speak  to  blind 
people  without  effort  on  their  part ;  (3)  The  teaching 
of  Elocution ;  (4)  Reproduction  of  Music  ;  (5)  The 
"  Family  Record  " — a  registry  of  sayings,  reminiscences, 
etc.,  by  members  of  a  family  in  their  own  voices,  and  of 


THE    SOUND    WAVE    AND    ITS   CAPTURE  19 

the  last  words  of  dying  persons  ;  (6)  Music  boxes  and 
toys  ;  (7)  Clocks  that  should  announce  in  articulate 
speech  the  time  for  going  home,  going  to  meals,  etc.  ; 
(8)  The  preservation  of  languages  by  the  exact  repro- 
duction of  the  manner  of  pronouncing  ;  (9)  Educational 
purposes,  such  as  preserving  the  explanation  made  by 
a  teacher,  so  that  the  pupil  can  refer  to  them  at  any 
moment,  and  spelling  and  other  lessons  placed  upon 
the  machine  for  convenience  in  committing  to 
memory  ;  and  (10)  Connection  with  the  telephone  so 
as  to  make  the  .invention  an  auxiliary  in  the  transmission 
of  permanent  and  invaluable  records,  instead  of  being 
the  recipient  of  momentary  and  fleeting  communications. 
It  is  a  great  list,  but  application  No.  4  seems  to  be 
the  only  one  that  so  far  has  been  completely  carried  out. 
A  curious  fact,  too,  is  that  he  should  claim  for  the  teach- 
ing of  elocution  and  not  for  the  teaching  of  music, 
whereas  to-day  there  is  scarcely  a  school  in  America  in 
which  the  talking  machine  is  not  used  for  the  latter 
purpose.  In  this  connection  also  'there  is  a  noteworthy 
instance  of  the  value  of  the  machine  as  a  teacher. 
Madame  Galli-Curci,  the  famous  operatic  prima  donna 
was  refused  an  engagement  by  every  impresario  of 
distinction  in  the  States.  Her  voice  was  not  considered 
good  enough.  Nothing  daunted,  she  went  away  and 
secluded  herself  with  a  gramophone  and  a  big  parcel 
of  records  made  from  the  voices  of  the  leading  soprani 
of  the  day.  In  the  peace  and  quietness  of  her  home 
she  practised  assiduously,  testing  her  voice  against 
those  on  the  records.  Gradually  her  vocal  organ 
improved.  It  had  been  there  all  along,  but  her  training 
had  been  insufficient.  At  last,  when  she  imagined 
she  was  qualified,  she  presented  herself  to  a  manager 
asking  for  an  audition.  He  remembered  her  and 
declined  to  listen.  It  was  the  same  with  others.  They 

3-(1466E) 


20  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

had  heard  her  once  and  refused  to  give  her  another 
chance.  Almost  despairing,  she  made  her  way  to 
Chicago,  where,  by  good  fortune,  she  found  a  gentleman 
who  acceded  to  her  request.  He  listened  and  was 


By  the  courtesy  of  thi  Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd. 
MADAME   GALLI-CURCI 

amazed.  She  got  her  engagement  at  once,  and  now  she 
is  the  idol  of  America.  A  talking  machine  had  wrought 
a  seeming  miracle. 

In  claim  No.  8  Edison  speaks  of  the  "  preservation  " 
of  languages  He  may  have  been  thinking  of  the  dying 
tongues  of  the  fast  disappearing  Red  Race  of  his  native 
country  Certainly  the  instrument  would  be  of  use  in 
preserving  for  the  knowledge*  of  the  curious  some 
specimens  of  the  speech  of  those  Indians,  but  we  cannot 
conceive  what  benefit  that  would  be  to  humanity. 


THE    SOUND   WAVE    AND    ITS   CAPTURE  21 

America  has  done  her  best  to  destroy  the  Red  Man, 
why  should  she  wish  to  preserve  his  language  ?  How- 
ever, in  teaching  living  languages  the  talking  machine 
has  been  making  great  progress  of  late,  and  there  is  a 
tremendous  future  before  it  in  this  direction.  There 
are  other  branches  of  education,  too,  in  which  it  will 
presently  be  found  extremely  useful,  not  forgetting  our 
friend  the  dancing-master,  who  is  installing  machines 
all  over  the  country  to  provide  the  necessary  music. 

The  first  machine  constructed  by  Edison,  a  model  of 
which,  presented  by  himself,  may  be  seen  in  South 
Kensington  Museum  (there  is  a  photograph  of  it  hanging 
before  our  eyes  at  the  present  moment),  was  a  very 
clumsy  affair  with  a  handle  for  rotating  the  cylinder  and 
the  results  were  far  from  satisfactory.  Nevertheless, 
they  were  a  reproduction  and  gave  a  basis  lor  further 
experiment.  The  tinfoil  was  not  well  suited  to  receive 
the  extremely  delicate  indentations  of  the  recording 
needle.  It  offered  too  great  a  resistance,  and  the  con- 
sequence was  that  the  sounds  were  feeble  and  indistinct 
even  after  the  enlargement  of  the  focusing-chamber, 
so  rubber  tubes  had  to  be  used  to  convey  the  sounds 
from  the  diaphragm  to  the  ear.  The  public,  after  the 
first  burst  of  wonderment  at  the  novelty,  did  not  regard 
it  with  much  favour.  In  the  eyes  of  the  average  man  it 
was  nothing  more  than  a  scientific  toy. 


CHAPTER  III 

HOW   THE    TALKING    MACHINE    WAS    BROUGHT 
TO   ENGLAND 

IT  had  taken  just  upon  seventy  years,  from  the  time  of 
Duhamel's  Vibrograph  to  the  imperfect  phonograph  of 
Edison,  for  the  reproduction  of  sound  to  be  achieved. 
In  the  meantime  both  the  telegraph  and  the  telephone 
had  been  launched  upon  the  world,  but  these  were 
of  an  electric  nature,  whereas  the  talking  machine 
had  nothing  whatsoever  to  do  with  electricity.  It 
was  an  exceedingly  simple  contrivance  based  upon 
the  storage  and  release  of  sound  by  means  of 
vibrations,  and  its  utility  in  the  beginning  was 
doubtful. 

In  the  same  year  that  Edison  filed  his  application  in 
the  United  States,  1878,  he  took  out  an  English  patent, 
No.  1644.  By  this  it  may  be  seen  to  the  present  day 
that  he  did  not  pin  his  faith  solely  to  tinfoil  as  a  record- 
ing medium.  He  mentions  also  waxes,  gums  or  lacs, 
but  at  that  time  he  undoubtedly  believed  in  what  is 
commonly  known  as  "  silver  paper." 

Whether  Edison  was  disheartened  by  the  comparative 
failure  of  his  invention  or  was  too  busily  engaged  with 
other  novelties  which  promised  to  be  more  remunerative 
we  have  no  knowledge,  but  it  is  an  undisputed  fact  that 
for  about  ten  years  he  allowed  his  work  upon  the  instru- 
ment to  fall  into  abeyance.  There  were  others,  however, 
almost  as  keen-witted  as  himself,  who  were  striving 
eagerly  to  produce  a  device  which  would  not  infringe 
the  Edison  American  patent.  These  men  were  that 
indefatigable  Scotsman,  Alexander  Graham  Bell,  whose 

22 


TALKING   MACHINE    BROUGHT  TO   ENGLAND  23 

name  has  already  been  mentioned  in  connection  with  the 
telephone,  his  brother,  Chichester  Bell,  and  a  clever 
American  scientist,  Charles  Sumner  Tainter.  While 
Edison  was  dreaming  or  toiling  in  other  directions, 
these  three  were  ferreting  out  fresh  secrets  in  regard  to 
the  phonograph.  Unaware  of  the  original  inventor's 
English  patent,  which  mentioned  wax  as  a  recording 
medium,  they  discovered  that  by  the  employment  of  a 
composition  which  had  wax  as  its  principal ,  ingredient 
they  had  a  workable  substance.  They  discarded  the 
steel  point  used  by  Edison  and  substituted  a  sapphire 
stylus  shaped  like  a  gouge.  This  latter  dug  into  the 
wax  "  blank,"  as  the  mandril  coating  was  called  (a  term 
now  used  for  all  kinds  of  surfaces  upon  which  sounds  are 
recorded  in  the  first  instance),  instead  of  merely  indenting 
as  the  needle  had  done  upon  the  tinfoil.  To  the  instru- 
ment constructed  by  the  trio  they  gave  the  name  of 
"  Graph ophone,"  a  name  still  used  by  the  highly  successful 
Columbia  Company  for  their  machines.  The  results 
obtained  by  the  Bell  and  Tainter  method  of  recording 
were  greatly  in  advance  of  those  secured  by  the  Edison, 
and  an  interest  in  the  talking  machine  was  at  once 
re-awakened.  In  one  respect  the  new  invention  remained 
the  same  as  the  original.  The  track  made  by  the  stylus 
on  the  wax,  like  that  made  by  the  pin-head  on  the 
tinfoil,  was  of  the  "  hill-and-dale "  or  undulating 
variety.  The  sinuous  or  zigzag  track  was  still  in  the 
air,  so  to  speak. 

The  success  of  the  Graphophone  in  the  reproduction  of 
sound  led  capitalists  to  look  upon  it  in  the  light  of  a 
commercial  proposition.  Companies  were  formed  to 
manufacture  machines  and  records,  and  to  exploit 
them  to  the  world.  In  fact,  there  arose  a  boom  in  the 
invention  which  that  of  Edison  had  never  known,  and 
records  of  the  voices  of  popular  American  vocalists 


24  THE   TALKING   MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

sold  throughout  the  States  as  rapidly  as  they  could  be 
turned  out. 

In  the  beginning  every  one  of  these  records  was  a 
"  master,"  that  is  to  say,  it  was  the  original  as  it  was 
slipped  off  the  cylinder,  but  soon  a  duplicating  machine 
was  manufactured  by  which  copies  could  be  taken 
without  injury  to  the  master.  This  machine  has  now 
almost  fallen  into  desuetude,  and  the  cylinder  record 
is  fast  following  it  into  the  region  of  forgotten  things. 
At  that  time,  however,  it  was  in  full  swing,  and  the 
copies  made  by  it  had  the  inevitable  effect  of  cheapening 
the  market. 

The  vogue  of  the  Graphophone  aroused  Edison  and 
caused  him  once  more  to  turn  his  mind  to  the  talking 
machine.  Immediately  the  fat  was  in  the  fire.  As 
Tainter  and  Bell  had  adopted  Edison's  mandril  and 
cylinder  without  saying  by  your  leave,  so  Edison  fastened 
upon  their  cutting  apparatus.  Both  parties  appealed 
to  the  law  and  fought  their  hardest.  Edison  main- 
tained that  indenting  was  equivalent  to  cutting,  Tainter 
and  Bell  asserted  that  it  was  a  different  process  altogether. 
The  suit  dragged  on  interminably,  and  the  costs  mounted 
higher  and  higher,  and  all  the  time  it  was  giving  the 
talking  machine  bold  advertisement.  The  law's  delay 
is  quite  as  notorious  in  America  as  it  is  here,  if  not 
more  so,  and  people  began  to  whisper  that  the  continued 
prolongation  of  the  actions  was  caused  by  the  desire  of 
the  litigants  to  deter  other  inventors  from  entering 
into  a  field  fraught  with  so  many  terrors.  The  end  of  it 
all  was — a  dollar  !  Each  paid  the  other  this  magnificent 
sum  for  infringement  of  patent  and  peace  was  pro- 
claimed. What  the  costs  amounted  to  nobody  but  those 
concerned  in  the  case  ever  knew. 

The  immediate  effect  of  the  drawn  battle  was  the 
formation  of  a  company  called  the  Edison  United, 


TALKING   MACHINE   BROUGHT  TO   ENGLAND  25 

which  bought  the  patents  that  had  been  the  casus 
belli,  and  fondly  imagined  they  had  got  hold  of  every- 
thing and  there  would  be  no  more  litigation.  However, 
no  sooner  had  this  new  concern  found  its  feet  and  was 
doing  great  business  than  the  former  foes  came  together 
and  promoted  the  Edison-Bell  Company,  a  name  still 
perpetuated  by  J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd.,  of  Glengall  Road, 
Peckham,  London.  How  this  firm  became  entitled  to 
the  use  of  the  famous  name  is  too  long  a  story  to  be 
related  here,  but  it  was  acquired  by  perfectly  legitimate 
means.  As  it  was,  after  a  time  Edison  became  dis- 
satisfied with  the  way  the  company  was  carrying  on 
business,  though  his  name  still  appeared  in  conjunction 
with  that  of  Bell  in  the  title  of  the  company,  as  it  does 
to  this  day. 

Before  the  first  talking  machine  war  had  ignomin- 
iously  fizzled  out,  however,  a  new  method  of  obtaining 
records  from  the  "  master  "  had  been  discovered  which 
revolutionized  the  whole  business.  The  old  duplicating 
process  was  superseded  by  electrotyping.  By  this 
means  the  master  was  covered  with  a  coating  of  copper 
and  any  number  of  moulded  copies  could  be  taken  from 
it  without  difficulty.  Though  Edison  was  not  the 
inventor  of  this  system  he  vastly  improved  upon  it,  and 
the  records,  by  reason  of  the  use  of  harder  wax,  and 
consequently  the  more  exact  reproduction  of  the  voice, 
became  much  more  marketable.  Later  on  other  metals 
than  copper  were  employed,  and  under  the  vacuum 
deposit  process,  which  reduces  metals  to  a  vapour  by 
high  tension  electric  currents,  gold  moulded  cylinder 
records  made  their  appearance.  The  enormous  quantities 
which  were  produced  again  brought  down  the  price 
and  the  public  demand  increased. 

Hitherto,  it  will  be  observed,  that  we  have  spoken 
solely  and  entirely  of  America  from  the  time  that 


26  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

Edison  took  out  his  first  patent.  The  reason  for  this 
is  not  difficult  to  trace.  There  were  no  talking  machines 
anywhere  else.  The  patent  holders  had  a  monopoly  of 
them,  they  were  not  permitted  to  be  exported  except 
under  licence,  and  this  licence  was  granted  to  nobody 
unless  contracts  were  signed  of  the  most  one-sided 
character.  The  story  of  how  the  first  phonograph 
was  smuggled  across  the  Atlantic  to  Ireland  is  most 
interesting  and  amusing,  and  we  give  it  straight  from  the 
mouth  of  the  gentleman  who  perpetrated  the  deed. 
He  is  alive  and  flourishing  to-day,  and  is  still  connected 
with  the  talking  machine  trade.  His  name  is  Mr. 
Percy  Willis,  and  he  is  sales  manager  to  the  firm  of 
J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd.,  already  mentioned,  whose  Winner 
records  are  known  all  over  the  world. 

"  Well,  I  won't  say  that  ours  was  absolutely  the  first 
machine  on  this  side,"  said  Mr.  Willis  when  we  saw  him 
at  the  Edison  Bell  Works  in  Peckham,  "  but  111  swear 
it  was  the  first  to  be  smuggled,  and  they  were  smuggled 
in  their  thousands  afterwards.  We  had  been  doing 
rotten  business  in  Canada,  my  partner  and  I,  and  cash 
was  running  short.  When  one  feels  the  lining  of  his 
wallet  wearing  thin  it  sharpens  his  wits  and  brightens 
up  his  intellect.  Anyhow,  I've  always  found  it  so, 
and  I've  had  a  pretty  wide  experience.  We  were  in 
Montreal,  and  one  evening  as  we  passed  down  the  street 
we  came  upon  a  sort  of  booth  or  curtained  store  where 
a  great  crowd  of  people  were  hovering  around.  Outside 
there  was  a  big  bill  posted  up  announcing  that  a  phono- 
graph might  be  heard  within  at  so  many  cents  a  head. 
'  Gee/  !  I  exclaimed.  '  If  we  could  only  get  one  of 
these  machines  and  a  few  dozen  records  across  to  England 
our  fortunes  would  be  made.'  I  may  tell  you,  at  that 
time  the  Edison  United  was  controlling  the  earth  in  the 
talking  machine  line.  They  had  little  or  no  opposition, 


TALKING  MACHINE  BROUGHT  TO  ENGLAND     27 

for  Berliner  had  not  then  taken  out  his  patents,  and  this 
company  was  running  the  Edison  and  the  Tainter  and 
Bell  inventions  combined  in  one.  They  were  the  lords 
of  creation  in  the  new  business,  and  they  carried  things 
with  a  mighty  high  hand.  My  partner  agreed  with  me 
that  there  was  money  in  the  notion,  and  we  made  up 
our  minds  to  go  ahead  without  delay. 

"  Next  day  we  took  train  for  Boston,  and  there 
we  bought  the  machine  and  three  dozen  cylinder 
records.  For  these  we  had  to  put  our  names  to 
several  portentous  looking  documents,  binding  us 
down  to  all  kinds  of  restrictions,  the  most  important 
of  which,  to  us,  was  that  neither  the  machine  nor  the 
records  were  to  be  taken  out  of  the  United  States 
under  a  penalty  of  something  approaching  to  electro- 
cution. But  what  did  we  care  ?  We  had  determined 
upon  the  adventure  and  we  would  take  all  risks.  By  the 
time  we  had  paid  for  our  passages  from  Boston  to 
Queenstown  we  were  just  about  the  end  of  our  tether  so 
far  as  cash  went,  but  we  were  buoyed  up  with  plenty  of 
hope  for  the  future.  We  were  precious  careful  of  our 
baggage,  I  can  assure  you,  for  on  that  depended  the 
whole  of  our  expectations.  However,  we  got  through 
to  Queenstown  all  right  and  then — 111  never  forget  it  ! 
We  were  going  ashore  when  the  strap  supporting  the 
parcel  of  records  broke  and  there  was  a  crash.  My 
heart  was  in  my  mouth,  but  when  we  came  to  examine 
we  found  that  only  twelve  of  them  had  gone,  we  had 
still  a  couple  of  dozen  to  carry  on  with. 

"  Of  course,  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  see  about 
business  at  once.  We  could  not  afford  to  rest  on  our 
oars  for  a  single  moment,  so  we  made  our  start  there  and 
then  in  Queenstown,  and  a  splendid  start  it  was.  The 
people  came  rolling  in  by  dozens  and  scores.  In  those 
days,  you  know,  to  hear  the  record  you  had  to  listen 


28  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

with  tubes  in  your  ears,  and  there  was  no  spring  motor 
to  drive  the  machine.  The  mandril  was  rotated  by 
electricity  which  necessitated  lugging  a  battery  about 
with  you.  These  were  drawbacks  which  have  all  been 
overcome  long  since,  but  the  thing  was  then  in  its 
swaddling  clothes  and  hadn't  even  begun  to  crawl. 
The  worst  of  it  was  that  only  one  person  could  listen 
at  a  time  and,  especially  with  children,  there  was  a  good 
deal  of  difficulty  in  subduing  the  impatience  of  the 
waiting  crowd. 

"  From  the  very  first  day  of  our  opening  I  saw  that 
most  of  our  anticipations  were  to  be  fulfilled.  Everybody 
was  full  of  the  wonderful  talking  machine  and  our  fame 
preceded  us  to  Cork  which  was  our  next  town.  There 
they  nocked  to  us  in  shoals,  and  I  recollect  one  old  woman 
standing  with  a  market  basket  on  her  arm  while  I 
expatiated  on  the  wonders  of  the  invention.  She 
regarded  me  with  a  wistful  eye  for  a  long  time,  and  then 
in  an  audible  whisper  she  asked  a  neighbour,  '  What's 
ailin'  him  ?  ' 

"  Waterford  and  Limerick  were  little  gold  mines  to 
us,  and  then  we  opened  at  the  Central  Hall  in  Dublin. 
In  the  first  five  days  we  took  £200.  Our  dreams  were 
being  realized,  and  there  were  not  two  happier  fellows 
in  the  whole  of  Ireland. 

"  While  in  Dublin  we  had  a  private  visit  from  the 
Lord  Mayor  of  the  city,  who  brought  three  members 
of  Parliament  with  him.  They  had  come  especially 
to  hear  the  voice  of  Gladstone,  who  was  then  in  extra- 
ordinary favour  with  the  Irish  because  of  his  Home  Rule 
Bill.  Now,  I  was  just  a  little  perturbed  about  this. 
We  had  a  record  of  the  words  of  Gladstone  giving  his 
famous  message  to  Edison  on  the  marvel  of  the  talking 
machine,  but  the  voice — well,  it  was  not  the  actual 
voice  of  the  great  statesman,  it  was  that  of  somebody 


TALKING  MACHINE  BROUGHT  TO  ENGLAND     29 

else.  In  fear  and  trembling  I  put  it  on.  Each  of  the 
visitors  heard  it  in  turn  wich  reverential  awe.  Then, 
judge  of  my  surprise  when  one  of  them  grasped  me  by 
the  hand.  '  Thank  you,  sir,'  he  remarked,  '  I  have  sat 
behind  the  old  man  for  nearly  fifty  years  and  recognize 
every  tone  of  the  voice.'  I  guess  the  man  who  made  that 
record  must  have  been  a  great  mimic. 

"  We  did  so  well  in  Dublin  that  I  thought  I  would 
chance  another  smuggling  expedition  to  the  States  for 
more  records  and  a  few  machines,  for  we  had  had  many 
inquiries  concerning  the  price  of  them  and  how  they 
could  be  obtained.  I  went  and  was  entirely  successful, 
bringing  the  goods  over  in  apple  barrels  packed  as  fruit. 
We  were  now  in  full  swing.  The  machines  sold  for 
high  prices  to  persons  who  wished  to  enter  into  the  same 
line  as  ourselves  and  the  entertainment  business  flourished 
exceedingly.  I  remember  a  very  amusing  incident, 
though  it  was  rather  serious  at  the  moment.  We  were 
going  from  Ireland  to  the  Isle  of  Man,  for  the  season  in 
Douglas.  As  I  have  already  told  you,  we  had  to  carry 
an  electric  battery  with  us  for  the  motor  power  to  turn 
the  cylinder.  While  waiting  for  the  boat  in  Liverpool 
I  had  the  battery  fully  charged  ready  to  start  as  soon  as 
we  reached  the  island.  The  terminals  were  on  top. 
and  I  set  the  thing  down  and  walked  away  for  a  minute 
or  two.  In  my  absence  a  woman  came  along  with  a 
tin  box  and  flopped  it  atop  of  my  apparatus.  The  box 
being  of  metal  completed  the  circuit,  and  by  the  time  I 
returned  the  bottom  of  that  box  had  gone  and  the  lady 
thought  she  had  struck  an  infernal  machine.  I  had  to 
recompense  her,  of  course,  which,  I  suppose,  served  me 
right  for  my  carelessness. 

"At  that  time  Charles  Coborn  was  at  his  zenith  with 
'  The  Man  Who  Broke  the  Bank  at  Monte  Carlo.'  We 
contrived  to  get  a  record  of  the  song,  and  it  was  one 


30  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

of  the  greatest  hits  we  ever  made.  People  used  to  come 
again  and  again  to  listen  to  it ,  and  then  they  would  bring 
their  friends.  Everybody  wanted  to  hear  that  song, 
till  at  last  the  cylinder  got  clean  worn  out,  for  in  those 
days  the  wax  that  they  were  made  of  was  rather  soft 
stuff  and  wouldn't  last  as  the  later  cylinders  did. 

"  It  was  a  glorious  life  and  I  enjoyed  myself  amazingly. 
There  were  other  trips  to  America,  each  one  more  profit- 
able than  the  last,  and  I  was  never  caught >  though  once 
one  of  the  Edison  United  men  came  after  me  on  this  side 
and  wanted  to  know  the  names  of  the  parties  who  had 
machines  from  me.  I  refused  to  give  him  any  informa- 
tion and  defied  him.  He  had  no  proofs  against  me,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  being  known  that  I  was  engaged  in  that 
sort  of  contraband  ;  but  there  were  certain  prosecutions 
of  other  persons,  and  one  of  the  best  known  men  in  the 
trade  since  then  was  obliged  to  take  refuge  in  Holland 
for  a  time. 

"  Those  days  are  long  past  now.  The  high-handed 
methods  of  the  Edison  United  have  departed  from  these 
shores,  and  the  gramophone  has  almost  entirely  taken 
the  place  of  the  phonograph.  When  my  partner — 
alas  !  he  is  dead  now,  poor  fellow — and  I  severed  our 
connection  he  got  the  highest  price  ever  paid  for  a 
talking  machine  up  till  that  time.  It  was  the  good  old 
instrument  that  had  lasted  us  all  through,  and  he  sold 
it  for  £200  !  Our  records,  too,  fetched  a  pound  a  piece." 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE    DISC   MACHINE 

IT  has  been  previously  stated  that  the  gramophone,  or 
disc  machine,  has,  in  this  country  at  least,  practically 
ousted  the  older  invention  from  the  English  market. 
Up  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war  with  Germany,  Edison  had 
a  big  factory  at  Willesden,  on  the  northern  outskirts  of 
London,  and  did  a  fairly  good,  though  declining,  trade. 
At  one  time,  of  course,  he  had  had  almost  a  monopoly  of 
the  industry  in  England,  and  the  Edison  machine  was  the 
popular  instrument.  There  are  still  a  certain  number  of 
enthusiasts  clinging  to  it  scattered  throughout  the 
country,  who  have  formed  societies  of  their  own  and 
endeavour  to  revive  the  dying  cult,  but  we  fear  that 
their  success  is  limited.  Some  of  the  trade  factors, 
that  is  to  say,  the  wholesalers,  have  accused  the  Edison 
Company  in  Britain  of  sharp  practice.  The  American 
methods  of  business  did  not  suit  the  slower-moving 
traders  of  this  country  and  there  were  latterly  some 
actions  at  law.  The  Edison  factory  closed  down  and 
there  were  no  more  cylinders  or  machines  on  sale  from 
that  quarter.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the  managers 
of  the  British  branch  of  the  business  formed  a  wrong 
estimate  of  the  effect  the  war  would  have  upon  the  trade 
and  scuttled  off  to  avoid  a  slump.  If  that  should  have 
been  the  case,  they  made  the  biggest  mistake  of  their 
lives,  for  the  war  proved  to  be  of  the  greatest  benefit 
to  the  trade  generally,  from  the  manufacturer  down  to 
the  humblest  dealer,  although  it  was  almost  entirely 
in  favour  of  the  disc  machine.  Nevertheless,  had  the 

31 


32  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

Edison  people  stuck  to  their  guns  they  would,  in  all 
likelihood,  have  had  a  share  in  the  prosperity.  In  the 
whole  of  the  three  kingdoms  there  is  now  but  one  small 
factory  turning  out  cylinders,  that  of  the  Clarion 
Company,  at  Wandsworth. 

The  inventor  of  the  disc  system  was  Emil  Berliner. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  both  the  Edison  and  the 
Tainter-Bell  processes  were  those  of  the  hill  and  dale 
track,  Berliner  reverted  to  the  old  method  of  Leon 
Scott  with  his  phon autograph,  and  produced  a  sinuous 
or  zigzag  pathway.  This  is  known  to  experts  as  the 
needle-cut  record,  while  the  original  is  the  phono-cut. 
Berliner's  first  essay  in  disc  reproduction  was  to  coat  a 
flat  zinc  plate  with  a  viscous  film,  as  is  done  in  zinco- 
graphy, and  then  to  engrave  thereon  by  means  of  a 
needle  attached  to  a  diaphragm  the  sinuosities  resulting 
from  the  sound-imparted  vibrations  of  the  diaphragm. 
These  appeared  as  tiny  microscopical  wriggles  running  in 
a  spiral  track  on  the  face  of  the  prepared  disc,  which 
were  afterwards  bitten  into  the  zinc  by  acid.  To  obtain 
a  reproduction  a  vertical  diaphragm  was  used  which 
had  a  stylus  supported  by  a  lever  and  acted  upon  by  a 
point  which  ran  in  the  concentric  grooves.  After 
being  engraved  the  zinc  disc  was  employed  for  the 
purpose  of  procuring  a  metallic  negative  from  which 
countless  records  could  be  pressed  in  a  composition 
consisting  mainly  of  shellac,  which  hardens  when  cold. 
The  reproductions  thus  obtained  were,  however,  rough 
and  crude,  and  recourse  was  afterwards  had  to  the 
wax  blank  and  the  sapphire  stylus.  For  the  record 
made  in  this  latter  way  a  treatment  of  very  fine  graphite 
was  applied  which  metallized  it,  and  the  electrotyping 
went  on  in  the  ordinary  manner,  with  a  solution  of 
sulphate  of  copper  bath,  and  the  application  of  a  high 
tension  current.  Great  care  had  to  be  exercised  in  this 


By  the  courtesy  of  Messrs.    Alfred  Graham   &  Co., 
St.  Andrew's  Works,  Crofton  Park,  London,  S.E. 

AN   ALGRAPHONE 

The  most  elaborately  ornate  gramophone  exhibited  at  the 
British  Trade  Industries'  Fair,  1922 


34  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

process,  and  special  appliances  had  to  be  introduced 
for  the  purpose  of  procuring  a  good  and  service- 
able master  from  which  the  working  matrices  were 
obtained. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Berliner  disc  is  the 
favourite  upon  the  market,  but  there  are  phono-cut 
discs  as  well,  which  have  a  considerable  following 


By  the  courtesy  of  the  Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd. 

HIS  MASTER'S  VOICE  PORTABLE  GRAMOPHONE 

among  gramophone  users.  Our  friend,  Mr.  Seymour, 
filed  two  specifications  in  reference  to  the  recording  and 
reproduction  of  this  type  of  disc  as  far  back  as  1903,  and 
one  Dr.  Michaelis,  a  German,  took  out  a  patent  in  this 
country  a  few  months  later  for  a  somewhat  similar 
invention.  The  doctor's  was  a  rather  curious  production 
in  stout  strawboard  coated  with  enamel,  and  faced 
with  celluloid  on  which  the  record  had  been  impressed. 


THE   DISC   MACHINE  35 

He  called  it  the  "  Neophone,"  and  we  saw  one  of  them 
not  long  since  in  the  possession  of  a  collector,  who 
preserved  it  as  a  curio.  Some  of  these  discs  were  huge 
affairs,  20  ins.  across.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  were 
ultimately  a  failure.  The  strawboard  warped  and  the 
records  became  useless. 

Undoubtedly  the  most  successful  firm  in  the  exploita- 
tion of  this  system  are  Messrs.  Pathe  Freres,  of  Paris, 
London  and  New  York,  who  years  ago  adopted  the 
undulating  method  as  applied  to  discs.  Their  records 
are  pressed  in  the  shellac  composition  like  all  others  of 
this  form,  but  have  greater  durability  in  consequence 
of  being  played  with  a  ball  pointed  sapphire  which  does 
not  give  so  much  wear  and  tear  as  the  sharp  steel  needle. 
For  the  same  reason  there  is  not  quite  so  much  surface 
sound. 

Edison  himself  has  now  brought  out  a  disc  of  this 
design,  but  it  has  not  reached  England  yet.  It  may, 
nevertheless,  be  expected  at  any  moment,  and  will 
probably  be  on  sale  before  our  little  work  is  in  print. 
It  is  played,  we  are  told,  by  a  diamond,  but  this  is 
nothing  new,  Pathe  Freres  had  a  diamond  reproducer 
at  the  same  time  as  their  sapphire,  but  have  now  aban- 
doned it  in  favour  of  the  latter.  High  encomiums  have 
been  passed  on  the  Edison  disc  by  the  inventor's  own 
countrymen,  who  praise  it  for  its  lack  of  that  besetting 
sin  of  the  gramophone,  the  surface  scratch.  By  the  way, 
the  term  "  gramophone  "  was  given  by  Berliner  to  his 
instrument  in  the  same  fashion  as  Edison  called  his 
machine  a  phonograph  and  Tainter  and  Bell  named 
theirs  a  graphophone.  But  more  of  this  hereafter.  If 
the  Edison  disc  should  fulfil  all  the  claims  that  are  made 
for  it  the  friends  of  the  talking  mahcine  will  welcome 
it  with  open  arms,  for  even  the  most  ardent  admirers 
of  the  instrument  cannot  disguise  from  themselves 


36  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

the  fact  that  in  several  respects  there  is  room  for 
improvement.1 

It  will  no  doubt  be  news  to  certain  of  our  readers  that 
sound  has  been  photographed,  yet  a  patent  for  sound 
photography  was  granted  to  Morgan-Brown  so  far  back 
as  1880.  Since  then  at  least  half  a  dozen  have  followed, 
including  one  to  the  irrepressible  Graham  Bell,  in  1886. 

"  The  principle  involved  in  most  of  these  methods," 
says  Seymour,  "  is  to  vary  an  otherwise  constant 
beam  of  light  passed  through  a  condenser  and  reflecting 
upon  a  small  mirror  attached  to  a  vibrating  diaphragm, 
the  reflected  beam  or  '  light  pencil '  being  directed  to 
impinge  upon  a  blank  with  a  sensitized  surface.  The 
recording  machine  is  constructed  much  upon  the  same 
lines  as  those  of  the  ordinary  disc  recording  machine,  with 
the  addition,  of  course,  that  it  is  also  a  modified  camera." 

Another  plan  for  obtaining  a  record  is  by  a  somewhat 
intricate  process  of  passing  the  record  between  a  con- 
centrated beam  of  light  falling  on  a  selenium  cell  in 
circuit  with  a  microphone  by  which  the  light  waves  are 
converted  into  sound  waves.  The  system,  however, 
has  not  yet  been  perfected.  Theoretically  the  photo- 
phone  may  be  all  right,  but  we  have  not  had  the  pleasure 
of  listening  to  any  of  the  records  so  reproduced,  and 
until  we  do,  we  are  rather  inclined  to  be  a  little 
sceptical.  That  sound  has  been  photographed  we 

1  Since  writing  the  above  we  have  had  an  opportunity  of 
listening  to  the  much-vaunted  Edison  records  on  an  Edison 
specially  constructed  machine,  and  have  been  most  grievously 
disappointed.  They  are  formidable  looking  discs  of  about  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  though  very  light  considering, 
but,  instead  of  diminishing  the  surface  sound,  the  disagreeable 
scratch  is  much  more  manifest  than  ever,  and  in  other  respects 
the  records  show  no  advantage  whatsoever  over  those  at 
present  issued  by  the  best  manufacturers.  The  artists, 
too,  both  vocal  and  instrumental,  are  a  poor  lot  compared 
with  those  who  are  exclusively  engaged  by  some  of  the  other 
manufacturers. 


THE    DISC    MACHINE  37 

readily  admit,  it  is  the  reproduction  that  we  are  doubtful 
about.  Were  the  conjunction  of  light  and  sound 
brought  into  complete  harmony  the  synchronization  of 
the  kinematograph  with  the  gramophone  would  not  be 
far  distant.  And  that  opens  up  an  entirely  new  vista 
which  we  must  not  yet  dwell  upon  because  we  are 
not  gifted  with  the  power  of  prophecy  ;  nevertheless, 
it  is  our  opinion  that  before  long  the  camera  and  the 
talking  machine  will  come  into  consonance,  so  that  we 
shall  hear  the  voices  of  the  players  on  the  screen  as  well 
as  witness  their  actions. 

We  remember  an  attempt  was  made  by  Edison  some 
years  ago  to  synchronize  the  bioscope  with  the  phono- 
graph, and  a  private  show  was  given  at  the  Company's 
premises  in  Clerkenwell  Road,  London.  It  was  a 
ghastly  failure.  The  mouths  of  the  characters  opened, 
but  no  words  came,  and,  vice  versa,  when  the  lips  were 
closed  the  machine  persisted  in  talking.  It  was  simply 
ludicrous.  Since  then,  we  understand,  Edison  has  still 
been  working  on  the  idea  but  has  not  arrived  at  a 
satisfactory  result.  However,  other  inventors  are 
pegging  away  at  it,  and  quite  recently  we  heard  that 
Sir  Harry  Lauder  has  secured  something  wonderful  in 
this  line  which  he  is  keeping  up  his  sleeve.1 

1  The  latest  news  from  America  assures  us  that  the  synchro- 
nization of  the  talking  machine  and  the  film  has  been  achieved 
by  means  of  the  endless  band.  The  method  of  producing  a 
record  upon  a  celluloid  tape  is  not  new.  It  was  suggested  several 
years  ago  though  never  actually  carried  out.  Celluloid  as  a  record 
substance  goes  back  for  a  long  time.  As  we  have  already  noted 
Dr.  Michaelis  used  it  for  his  Neophone,  and  Edison's  "  Blue 
Amberols,"  the  best  cylinder  records  ever  manufactured,  were  of 
this  material.  Celluloid  or  cellulose  may  be  fashioned  in  flexible 
form  and  the  record  impressed  upon  it.  A  long  ribbon  of  this 
could  easily  embody  a  whole  opera,  the  reproduction  being  effected 
by  passing  the  band  over  a  couple  of  mandrils.  In  the  timing 
of  it  with  the  film  the  record  and  the  picture  are  reeled  off  together, 
so  that  the  action  and  the  voice  correspond  exactly.  It  is  an 
ingenious  notion,  and  we  trust  it  may  fructify. 


38  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

To  revert  to  the  Berliner  disc  machine  or  gramophone. 
It  was  patented  in  the  year  1887,  but  not  for  another 
decade  was  it  freely  sold  in  Great  Britain,  though  a 
few  had  made  their  appearance  from  America.  Up 
till  then  the  only  machine  known  in  this  country 
was  the  cylinder.  About  1897,  Berliner  sold  his 
English  patent  rights  to  a  private  concern  which  called 
itself  after  the  name  of  the  instrument,  The  Gramophone 
Company.  This  firm  dealt  in  talking  machines  made 
under  the  patent  which  they  had  purchased  from  the 
inventor  ;  but  in  1899  it  transferred  the  business  to  a 
company  incorporated  under  the  style  of  The  Gramo- 
phone Company,  Limited.  A  year  later  this  company, 
in  its  turn,  transferred  the  concern  to  a  company  with 
a  much  larger  capital,  which  had  at  the  same  time 
acquired  a  business  in  typewriters,  and  was  known  as 
The  Gramophone  and  Typewriter,  Limited.  Shortly 
afterwards  it  dropped  its  typewriter  interest  and  became 
again  The  Gramophone  Company,  Limited,  a  title  which 
it  still  retains. 

In  1900  the  Tainter-Bell  patent  expired,  and  this 
was  followed  some  time  later  by  the  expiration  of  the 
Berliner  1887  patent.  In  less  than  no  time  'phones  of 
all  kinds  were  being  rushed  upon  the  public.  Many 
of  these  were  given  fancy  names,  such  as  "  Dulcephone," 
"  Coronophone,"  and  the  like,  but  not  one  of  them  was 
known  as  a  "  Gramophone."  That  name  was  believed 
to  be  sacred  to  The  Gramophone  Company  alone,  and 
the  mushroom  manufacturers — many  of  them,  in  fact, 
most  of  them,  Germans — had  a  wholesome  dread  of 
treading  upon  the  corns  of  a  corporation  which  was 
rapidly  making  its  presence  felt. 

The  first  double-sided  disc  was  introduced  to  this 
country  from  Germany  in  1904,  and  was  a  very  good 
record  indeed,  which  cannot  be  said  of  all  its  congeners. 


THE   DISC   MACHINE  39 

It  belonged  to  the  firm  of  C.  and  J.  Ullmann  and  was 
named  the  Odeon  Duplex.  Odeon  records  were  much 
sought  after,  and  even  now,  with  all  the  outcry  against 
the  admission  of  German  goods,  there  are  occasional 
inquiries  for  them.  They  were  in  two  sizes,  1\  ins. 
and  lOf  ins.  in  diameter. 

In  the  same  year  also  appeared  the  National  Phono- 
graph Company,  which  was  the  Edison  Company  already 
referred  to,  with  its  European  headquarters  in  Holland. 
The  firm  opened  business  in  Gray's  Inn  Road  and  pros- 
pered so  well  that  in  a  few  months  it  took  additional 
premises  at  25  Clerkenwell  Road.  It  then  established  a 
big  factory  at  Willesden,  London,  N.W.,  and  for  some 
years  did  a  flourishing  trade.  In  the  end,  however, 
as  we  have  previously  stated,  it  went  down,  like  a  good 
many  others,  and  England  knew  it  no  more.  This 
practically  severed  the  last  British  link  with  Edison 
and  his  phonograph. 

It  was  a  year  of  great  events  in  the  Talking  Machine 
Industry  that  1904,  for  it  likewise  saw  the  arrival  in 
this  country  of  one  of  the  most  successful  disc  ventures 
that  are  known  here  at  the  present  time.  The  British 
Zonophone  Company  came  to  London,  bringing  with  it, 
as  manager,  a  gentleman  who  is  now  deservedly  regarded 
as  one  of  the  leading  lights  of  the  trade.  We  refer  to 
Mr.  Louis  Sterling,  who  has  been  for  several  years  the 
Managing  Director  of  the  British  house  of  the  world 
famous  Columbia  Graphophone  Company.  There  is  not 
a  scheme  for  the  welfare  of  the  industry  and  (he  better- 
ment of  its  prospects  in  which  Mr.  Sterling  is  not  one 
of  the  moving  spirits,  and  withal  he  is  so  unassuming, 
so  genial,  that  he  has  endeared  himself  to  everyone  with 
whom  he  comes  in  contact.  Still,  like  most  men  who 
have  risen  from  small  beginnings,  and  Mr.  Sterling 
would  not  be  ashamed  to  tell  you  himself  that  his 


40  THE    TALKING   MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

beginnings  were  very  small,  he  has  had  his  struggles. 
Resigning  his  position  with  the  Zonophone  Company 
within  a  short  period,  he  launched  The  Sterling  Record 
Company,  with  a  play  upon  his  own  name,  and  was 
shortly  afterwards  joined  by  Mr.  Russell  Hunting, 
an  adventurous  spirit,  well  known  in  the  gramophone 
trade  throughout  the  world.  Hunting  had  previously 
been  with  the  Edison-Bell  Consolidated  Company,  from 
which  he  had  seceded  with  a  few  others,  and  after  joining 
Mr.  Sterling,  the  name  of  the  latter's  concern  was 
changed  to  the  Russell  Hunting  Co.  They  occupied  the 
old  Zonophone  premises  at  81  City  Road,  while  the 
Zono  people  moved  to  23. 

The  increasing  popularity  of  the  disc  record  was 
already  beginning  to  affect  the  cylinder  trade,  and  in 
1905  war  arose  between  the  Edison-Bell  Consolidated 
Phonograph  Company  and  the  National  Phonograph 
Company.  We  are  not  quite  clear  on  the  merits  of  the 
case,  but,  it  seems  that  the  National  Company  in  a  trade 
circular  laid  claim  to  the  name  of  Edison  as  their  own 
exclusive  property.  They  doubtless  had  some  grounds  for 
this  as  they  were  working  Edison  patents,  but  so  were 
their  opponents  at  the  same  time.  The  Edison-Bell 
at  once  countered  with  a  heavy  stroke.  They  announced 
in  the  clearest  terms  that  "  all  Edison  patents,  together 
with  others  of  importance  within  the  United  Kingdom, 
relating  to  the  modern  Phonograph  were  purchased 
by  the  Edison  Corporation,  Ltd.,  for  the  sum  of  £40,000, 
and  that  in  the  purchase  deeds  of  this  transaction  it 
was  agreed  that  the  first  word  of  its  trading  name 
should  be  EDISON."  The  challenge  having  been  thrown 
down  long  litigation  followed,  which  did  not  tend  to 
the  enhancement  of  prosperity  in  the  cylinder  trade. 
In  the  midst  of  the  turmoil  caused  by  the  opposing 
companies  the  disc  people  were  strengthening  their 


THE    DISC   MACHINE  41 

hands.  Factors  and  dealers  were  looking  this  way  and 
that  in  a  state  of  bewilderment,  and  presently  conceived 
that  their  surest  hope  of  salvation  lay  in  the  support  of 
the  non-combatant.  So  the  disc  scored  while  the 
Kilkenny  cats  of  the  cylinder  were  tearing  each  other 
to  death. 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  about  this  time  there 
were  efforts  made  to  establish  a  trade  in  the  commercial 
phonograph.  The  Edison-Bell  Company  had  already 
been  endeavouring  to  force  the  market  with  their 
Dictaphone.  Then  there  was  registered  the  Shorthand 
Record  Company,  an  enterprise  which  brought  out  a 
series  of  records  for  dictation  purposes  in  conjunction 
with  the  teaching  of  stenography.  The  Linguaphone, 
too,  was  an  instrument  designed  for  the  teaching  of 
languages,  but  the  public  was  not  ready  for  it,  and 
neither  of  these  projects  had  a  very  long  life.  Now- 
adays, when  the  desire  for  the  acquirement  of  foreign 
tongues  has  been  greatly  stimulated  by  the  war,  there 
are  being  issued  quantities  of  educational  discs,  and  the 
matter  is  being  taken  up  in  earnest. 

The  Columbia  Company  was  now  forging  ahead  with 
fine  determination.  They  had  achieved  a  record  of  the 
voice  of  Pope  Leo  XIII  which  was  in  itself  a  master- 
piece of  enterprise,  as  it  ensured  the  patronage  and 
favour  of  all  good  Catholics.  That  was  followed  by  some 
remarkable  cylinders  of  the  favourite  operatic  singers 
of  the  day,  Edouard  de  Reszke,  Scott i,  and  Campanani, 
with  Mesdames  Sembrich  and  Schumann- Heinck.  Not 
to  be  outdone,  the  Gramophone  Company,  by  this 
time  an  exceedingly  prosperous  concern,  came  out 
with  discs  of  Caruso,  Plancon,  Scotti,  Madame  Calve, 
and  many  others. 

During  this  period  more  German  records  were  being 
introduced  to  the  English  market  in  the  form  of  the 


42  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

Beka,  the  Dacapo  and  the  Favourite.  The  Fonotipia, 
also  came  over  from  Italy,  with  Messrs  C.  and  J.  Ullmann, 
of  the  Odeon,  as  agents.  The  records  of  these  companies 
were  all  discs  and  added  heavily  to  the  preponderance 
of  the  balance  in  favour  of  that  type.  The  records  were 
mostly  made  here,  but  the  machines  marketed  by  these 
concerns  were  all  Teutonic,  stock,  lock  and  barrel. 
Indeed,  up  till  that  time  there  were  few  talking 
machines  of  actual  British  build. 

By  far  the  best  season  that  had  then  been  known  in 
the  trade  since  the  instrument  was  brought  across  the 
Atlantic  was  the  winter  of  1906-7.  Machines  and  records 
were  plentiful  and  buyers  were  many  ;  but  the  following 
two  years  showed  a  disastrous  reverse.  The  reason 
for  this  might  be  found  in  the  unsettled  nature  of  the 
business  owing  to  the  competition  between  the  cylinder 
and  the  disc.  The  mind  of  the  public  was  distracted 
between  the  types  and  so  they  bought  neither.  In 
the  general  slump  the  Russell  Hunting  Company,  with 
its  cylinder  record,  was  wound  up.  It  was  perhaps  not 
a  bad  thing  for  Mr.  Sterling  after  all,  for  a  little  later  he 
introduced  a  disc  record  under  the  name  Rena,  which 
was  subsequently  absorbed  by  the  Columbia,  and  Louis 
Sterling  found  himself  at  the  head  of  affairs  in  the  whole 
concern. 


CHAPTER  V 

MOTORS,  SOUND  BOXES,  HORNS,  ETC. 

FROM  what  has  previously  been  said,  it  will  be  under- 
stood that  the  talking  machine,  so  far  as  it  has  yet  been 
evolved,  requires  various  appliances  and  accessories  to 
act  in  conjunction  with  it  before  we  can  get  a  perfect 
reproduction  of  the  recorded  sound.  In  disc  machines 
there  must,  first  of  all,  be  the  motor  to  rotate  the  record, 
then  the  turntable  on  which  the  record  is  placed,  after 
that  the  point  to  follow  the  grooves  and  transmit  the 
vibrations  to  the  reproducer  or  sound  box,  which 
receives  the  vibrations  from  the  point  and  passes 
them  on,  as  re-embodied  sound,  to  the  amplifier  to  be 
strengthened  in  volume  and  spread  abroad.  In  connec- 
tion with  the  horn  there  is  also  the  tone  arm  which 
carries  the  sound  from  the  reproducer  to  the  amplifying 
horn,  and  is  a  comparatively  recent  introduction.  If  we 
look  closely  into  the  trade-mark  of  the  Gramophone 
Company,  the  well-known  "  His  Master's  Voice " 
picture,  we  will  see  that  the  sound  box  is  attached  to  the 
lower  portion  of  the  horn  without  the  intervention  of 
any  tubular  apparatus.  That  was  the  Berliner  system 
when  first  brought  out.  There  is  also  in  certain  gramo- 
phones another  attachment,  known  as  the  gooseneck, 
which  is  interposed  between  the  tone  arm  and  the  repro- 
ducer, but  it  is  of  no  value  beyond  that  of  convenience 
in  placing  the  needle  in  its  holder  and  the  proper 
adjustment  of  the  sound  box. 

Speaking  of  the  motor,  we  have  already  stated  that 
the  first  phonographs  were  hand-driven,  then  came 
electric  power,  and  after  that  the  smoothly  running 
clockwork  contrivance.  In  both  types  of  machine  in 
use  at  present  the  actuating  power  is  the  steel  spring, 

43 


44  THE    TALKING   MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

and  the  object  to  be  attained  is  the  noiseless  and  per- 
fectly steady  movement  of  the  delicate  machinery.  To 
enter  into  all  the  minutiae  of  the  apparatus  would 
necessitate  a  long  and  technical  dissertation  upon  the 
mechanism  which  would  assuredly  prove  tedious  to  the 
majority  of  our  readers.  When  a  man  buys  a  watch 
he  does  not  want  to  learn  the  whole  process  of  its 
manufacture.  All  that  he  wishes  to  know  is  whether 
it  will  keep  correct  time,  and  so  it  is  with  the  motor  of 
a  talking  machine.  The  purchaser  only  desires  to  be 
assured  that  it  will  drive  the  turntable,  or  the  mandril, 
smoothly,  steadily,  and  without  noise.  Now,  here 
comes  an  extraordinarily  characteristic  feature  of  our 
English  idiosyncrasies.  Having  developed  the  most 
perfect  device  for  the  driving  of  the  phonograph,  in  the 
shape  of  the  Greenhill  motor  made  by  Fitch,  we  straight- 
way allowed  it  to  slip  through  our  fingers  into  the  hands 
of  somebody  else.  It  must  be  premised  that  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  motor  for  both  the  phonograph  and  the 
gramophone  is  the  same,  the  difference  being  merely  a 
matter  of  design.  When  the  Tainter-Bell  and  Berliner 
patents  expired,  and  it  was  seen  that  the  disc  was  to  be 
the  machine  of  the  future,  the  Germans  set  to  work  upon 
it  with  the  concentrated  vigour  which  belongs  to  them. 
It  is  one  of  the  distinguishing  presentments  of  the 
Teutonic  brain  that  it  does  not  originate,  but  given  the 
groundwork  upon  which  to  labour  it  will  forthwith 
produce  much  fruit  of  a  serviceable  nature  if  not 
of  a  high  quality.  The  Germans  speedily  turned  out 
cheap  motors  by  the  thousand,  but  presently  they  were 
beaten  by  the  Swiss,  who,  after  long  generations  of 
experience  in  clock  and  watch  making,  found  the  gramo- 
phone requirement  a  comparatively  easy  proposition. 
While  these  foreigners  were  busy  flooding  the 
British  markets  with  these  products  of  cheap  labour 


MOTORS,  SOUND  BOXES,  HORNS,  ETC.       45 

not  a  single  motor  was  manufactured  in  England. 
Every  machine  that  was  built  in  this  country  had  a 
foreign  motor  inside  it.  This  went  on  until  the  war 
put  a  stop  to  the  influx  of  German  goods  and  restrictions 
were  placed  upon  the  importation  of  Swiss  wares.  It 
was  then  that  our  own  manufacturers  began  to  take 
thought.  British  handicraft  had  always  been  the  best 
in  the  world.  Why  had  we  permitted  Germany  and 


By  the  courtesy  of  Messrs.  J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd 

SINGLE    SPRING   MOTOR   WITH    TURNTABLE 

Switzerland  to  supplant  us  in  the  matter  of  talking 
machine  motors  ?  At  that  time,  however,  firms  that 
would  have  started  without  delay  were  handicapped 
for  the  lack  of  men.  Engineers  and  artificers  were 
at  the  front  or  engaged  upon  munitions.  There  was  not 
a  craftsman  to  be  had.  Nevertheless,  several  companies 
were  formed  by  men  of  foresight,  and  since  demobiliza- 
tion began  some  of  the  companies  have  got  to  work 
and  are  turning  out  goods  that  the  Germans  or  Swiss 
could  never  compete  with.  Certain  of  the  bigger  machine 
manufacturers,  too,  are  now  constructing  their  own 
motors,  instead  of  importing  foreign  makes,  and  we  hope 
before  long  to  see  every  gramophone  bearing  an  English 
name  British  made  in  all  its  parts. 


46  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

A  visit  to  one  of  the  new  factories  is  a  most  interesting 
experience.  It  was  our  privilege  not  long  since  to  be 
shown  over  one  of  the  largest  of  them,  where  nothing 
but  gramophone  motors  are  made  on  the  exact  principle 
of  mass  production — a  notable  post-war  enterprise. 

The  buildings  covered  a  large  area  and  every  depart- 
ment was  in  full  working  order.  From  the  store 


THE   TRIPLE-SPRING  MOTOR   UNIT   OF   A 
COLUMBIA  INSTRUMENT 

(Shown  inverted  to  display  mechanical  parts] 

at  one  end  bars  and  sheets  of  the  finest  steels  were  issued 
into  the  main  factory  where  a  succession  of  whirring 
machines  absorbed  them.  Every  one  of  these  was 
attended  by  highly  skilled  artificers,  and  as  the  metal 
was  passed  along  it  was  shaped  and  cut  into  all  the 
component  parts,  spindles,  wheels,  springs  and  screws, 
until  it  was  deposited  at  the  far  end  with  every  minute 
portion  of  the  motor  ready  to  be  assembled.  And 
this  goes  on  incessantly  during  the  work  hours.  There 


MOTORS,  SOUND  BOXES,  HORNS,  ETC.        47 

is  no  break,  no  waiting  for  fresh  supplies.  All 
runs  smoothly  and  with  incredible  rapidity.  To  the 
uninitiated  eye  it  seems  like  magic. 

From  this  section  of  the  works  the  finished  parts  are 
at  once  transferred  to  other  departments  to  be  polished 
and  assembled.  The  delicate  process  of  assembling  is 
almost  entirely  accomplished  by  girls  and  women, 
whose  busy  fingers  are  never  still.  They  have  all  been 
specially  trained  in  this  branch  and  right  deftly  and 
daintily  they  perform  their  work. 

A  section  which  impressed  us  as  strongly  as  anything 
we  saw  was  the  testing-room,  where  each  completed 
motor  had  to  be  put  through  its  facings,  as  it  were. 
Gradations  of  speed  have  to  be  accurately  determined, 
and  as  every  bit  of  mechanism  is  standardized,  each 
of  the  products  has  to  run  a  stated  number  of  records. 
After  that  comes  a  most  important  function — the  test 
for  silence.  The  motor  which  is  absolutely  noiseless 
is  the  ideal  after  which  every  manufacturer  strives, 
and  it  is  amazing  how  near  perfection  this  object  has 
been  attained.  The  persons  who  perform  the  test  are 
all  abnormally  acute  of  hearing  and  have  been  specially 
selected  on  that  account.  They  listen  with  concen- 
trated attention,  and  the  very  slightest  buzz  is  at  once 
detected,  with  the  result  that  the  offending  motor  is 
rejected.  As  in  the  past  it  has  been  a  frequent  occur- 
rence for  cheap  motors  to  develop  noise  in  running  as 
soon  as  their  pristine  newness  has  worn  off,  it  is  good 
to  see  that  these  British  makers  pay  a  peculiar  regard 
to  the  silence  test. 

Before  we  left  that  factory  we  learned  some  important 
facts  which  will  doubtless  surprise  some  of  our  readers. 
Each  motor  consists  of  84  separate  parts,  without 
screws.  If  you  include  these  the  number  mounts  up 
to  189,  and  everyone  of  them  is  turned  out  in  the  works, 


48 


THE   TALKING   MACHINE    INDUSTRY 


so  you  can  understand  why  the  l^reless  fingers  of  the 
assemblers  appear  to  be  so  busy. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  what  is  undoubtedly  the  most 
important  factor  in  the  reproduction  of  sound — the 
reproducer  or  sound  box,  as  it  is  most  commonly  called. 
Between  the  original  type  employed  on  the  phonograph 
and  that  now  used  on  the  disc  machine  there  exists 
a  considerable  difference,  but  that,  after  all,  is  only  in 
detail,  the  principle  being  the  same 
in  both. 

The  diaphragm,  which  is  the 
true  reproducer,  may  be  made  of 
various  substances,  of  which  we 
shall  speak  later.  Anyone  who 
examines  a  sound  box  will  have  a 
round  flat  surface  presented  to 
him,  resembling,  to  a  certain 
extent,  the  dial  of  a  watch.  That 
is  the  diaphragm,  and  it  is  the 
vibratory  movement  of  that  cir- 
cular surface  which  causes  the 
sound  to  be  sent  forth,  in  fact, 
you  might  compare  it  to  the 
vocal  chords  of  the  machine. 

The  box  itself  is  invariably  of  metal.  Other  sub- 
stances such  as  wood  and  vulcanite  have  been  experi- 
mented upon,  but  they  have  been  found  unsuitable, 
because,  being  softer,  they  absorb  the  sound.  Metal, 
too,  is  more  convenient  for  the  exact  fitting  of  the 
parts.  The  form  of  the  case  is  almost  always  round. 
A  square  one  with  rounded  corners  has  recently  been  seen, 
and  is  said  to  give  good  results,  but  that  is  altogether 
an  exception.  The  case,  which  has  a  circular  outlet  in 
the  centre,  having  been  manufactured,  the  next  step  in 
the  construction  of  a  reproducer  is  the  setting  of  the 


By  the  courtesy  of 
Messrs.  J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd. 

A   TYPICAL  SOUND 
BOX 


MOTORS,  SOUND  BOXES,  HORNS,  ETC.       49 

diaphragm.  Two  rubber  rings,  known  as  gaskets,  are 
inserted  round  the  inner  edge  of  the  box  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  grip  the  diaphragm  tightly  between  them. 
Then  comes  the  fixing  of  the  stylus  bar,  which  is  a 
somewhat  delicate  process. 

To  the  tyro  we  would  explain  that  the  stylus  bar  is 
that  little  arm  of  steel — it  may  be  of  other  metal  but 
steel  is  the  more  frequently  used — which  may  be  seen 
advancing  half-way  across  the  face  of  the  diaphragm. 
It  will  be  observed  that  it  does  not  touch  the  material 
from  the  side  to  the  centre,  but  at  the  precise  point  in 
the  middle  of  the  circle  it  is  attached  to  the  diaphragm 
substance,  having  the  end  more  or  less  bent  round  for 
that  purpose.  The  function  of  the  stylus  bar  is  to 
impart  the  vibration  to  the  diaphragm  which  has 
arisen  from  the  needle  running  along  the  track  of  the 
record.  To  achieve  this  the  butt  of  the  stylus  bar, 
if  we  may  so  call  it,  is  mounted  on  a  fulcrum  or  bridge 
where  it  receives  a  rocking  motion  from  the  record 
which  is  instantaneously  communicated  to  the  dia- 
phragm at  its  centre,  thus  giving  the  necessary  thrust 
and  pull  of  vibration.  Every  sound  box  maker  has  a 
different  system  for  fixing  and  adjusting  the  stylus  bar 
upon  its  fulcrum  with  screws  and  springs,  so  that  we 
cannot  speak  of  a  universal  method.  New  types  are 
being  invented  every  day,  but  it  will  be  hard  to 
beat  the  Exhibition  sound  box  of  the  Gramophone 
Company.1 

The  back  of  the  case  may  be  made  of  the  same  metal 
as  the  sides,  or  of  aluminium  or  fibrous  material,  but 

1  A  very  competent  authority,  Mr.  Louis  Young,  maintains 
that  there  is  no  need  for  a  fulcrum  or  springs,  and  that  the  same 
result  could  be  achieved  if  the  stylus  bar  were  soldered  to  the 
rim  of  the  sound  box.  He  gives  as  his  reason  that  the  waves 
are  molecular  disturbances  which  would  carry  through  without 
these  interventions. 


50  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

great  care  must  be  taken  that  the  plate  is  neither  too 
thick  nor  too  thin,  else  the  correct  tonal  effects  will  be 
interfered  with.  There  is  a  round  opening  in  the 
backing  to  permit  the  sound  to  pass  through  when  the 
box  is  attached  to  the  gooseneck  or  tone  arm.  The  size 
and  weight  of  the  sound  box  are  rather  important 
matters,  because,  in  the  first  place,  a  heavy  reproducer 
will  cause  much  greater  wear  and  tear  to  records  than  a 


By  the  courtesy  of  the  Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd. 
THE   EXHIBITION   SOUND   BOX 

light  one,  and,  in  the  second,  if  it  be  too  light  it  will 
probably  fail  to  enter  all  the  sinuosities  of  the  track 
and  on  that  account  give  forth  an  imperfect  reproduction. 
In  regard  to  size,  it  stands  to  reason  that  a  large  dia- 
phragm will  reproduce  sounds  of  greater  amplitude 
than  one  smaller,  but  it  is  said  by  experts  that  what  is 
gained  in  volume  is  lost  in  fidelity,  and  that  the  big 
diaphragm  does  not  give  us  the  finer  shades  that  have 
been  recorded. 

Concerning  substances  from  which  diaphragms  have 


MOTORS,  SOUND  BOXES,  HORNS,  ETC.       51 

been  made,  there  is  hardly  anything  of  a  hard,  and  at 
the  same  time  elastic  nature  which  has  not  been  tried. 
Metals  of  various  kinds,  woods  of  all  descriptions  (includ- 
ing cork),  ivory,  xylonite,  paper,  cardboard,  mica  and 
glass,  are  among  the  most  common  of  the  materials 
which  have  been  used,  and  certain  fibrous  compositions 
have  also  been  employed,  with,  at  least  in  one  instance, 
considerable  success.  Of  all  that  we  have  enumerated, 
however,  there  is  none  that  can  equal  glass  for  both 
brilliance  and  completeness  of  reproduction.  At  one 
time  it  was  much  in  use,  but  its  brittleness  and  fragility 
have  caused  it  to  be  discarded  in  favour  of  mica.  It  is 
still,  however,  largely  in  use  for  recording  diaphragms, 
in  which  capacity  it  is  not  exposed  to  the  rough  treat- 
ment to  which  sound  boxes  are  submitted  by  ignorant 
gramophonists.  Mica,  being  of  laminated  structure,  is 
apt  to  split,  which  is,  of  course,  a  drawback,  but  careful 
selection  and  examination  of  the  portions  to  be  employed 
will  obviate  such  occurrences.  Our  friend  Seymour, 
among  his  countless  other  experiments,  introduced  a 
diaphragm  of  baked  carbon  sheet,  "  with  remarkable 
results,"  he  says,  "as  to  strength  and  fidelity  of  tone, 
but  a  certain  deficiency  in  brilliancy  was  noticeable. 
Its  greatest  success  was  most  conspicuous  with  records 
of  large  amplitude."  He  is  convinced,  he  tells  us,  that 
an  excellent  field  of  research  lies  in  the  direction  of 
malleable  glass  for  diaphragm  use.  It  is  quite  evident 
that  the  last  word  has  not  yet  been  spoken  concerning 
sound  boxes. 

All  the  Gramophone  Company's  machines,  and  indeed 
almost  all  machines  of  quality  are  now  provided  with  the 
gooseneck  attachment  which  facilitates  the  changing  of 
the  needle.  It  is  also  claimed  for  it  that  it  reduces  any 
harshness  that  there  may  be  in  the  record,  but  we  are 
not  altogether  confident  about  that.  However,  there 

5— (1466E) 


52  THE    TALKING   MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

can  be  no-  gainsaying  that  it  serves  its  first-mentioned 
purpose  well,  and  is  a  great  convenience  in  use. 

The  tone  arm  for  disc  machines  did  not  come  into 
general  use  until  about  the  year  1905.  We  believe  the 
inventor  to  have  been  Jensen,  but  there  are  others  who 
lay  claim  to  the  innovation  and  we  will  not  discuss  the 
matter.  At  all  events,  some  time  in  the  early  years  of 
the  present  century  the  Gramophone  Company  took  out 
a  patent  for  a  tapered  tone  arm  jointed  to  the  horn  or 
amplifier.  The  taper  in  this  accessory  gave  a  gradual 
increase  in  the  circumference  of  the  arm  from  the  sound 
box  to  the  joint  where  it  met  the  horn,  thus  amplifying 
the  sound  the  whole  way,  as  we  see  in  certain  musical 
instruments  of  the  band  and  orchestra.  Previously  the 
tone  arm  had  been  straight.  In  the  early  machines  the 
record  had  borne  the  whole  weight  of  both  sound  box 
and  horn,  but  when  the  tone  arm  came  in  vogue  the 
horn  was  supported  by  a  rigid  bracket  firmly  screwed 
to  the  cabinet  and  the  tone  arm  swung  free. 

In  1906  the  Gramophone  Company  brought  an  action 
against  Messrs.  C.  and  J.  Ullmann,  who  were  running 
the  Odeon,  for  infringement  of  their  tone  arm  patent. 
The  case  caused  much  excitement  in  the  talking 
machine  world,  because  at  that  time  the  contest  between 
cylinder  and  disc  was  at  its  height.  Counsel  argued 
learnedly  on  both  sides  and  experts  were  called  as 
witnesses  by  each  litigant,  but  the  Gramophone  Com- 
pany lost  the  day,  with  the  result  that  anyone  who 
chose  could  use  the  tapered  arm.  We  fancy  that  nowa- 
days, the  only  manufacturing  companies  that  do  not  use 
it  are  the  Columbia,  who  employ  an  arm  fashioned  at 
its  curve  in  the  shape  of  a  cornet,  and  Pathe  Freres  and 
the  Aeolian,  their  arms  being  straight. 

Tone  arms  are  chiefly  made  of  metal,  aluminium  being 
high  in  favour  because  of  its  lightness,  but  another  of 


MOTORS,  SOUND  BOXES,  HORNS,  ETC.       53 

Mr.  Seymour's  inventions  has  been  the  employment 
of  a  closely  grained  wood  tube  between  the  sound  box 
and  the  second  elbow.  This,  he  maintains,  is  an  improve- 
ment, and  we  see  no  reason  to  disagree  with  him  after 
the  change  that  has  taken  place  by  the  substitution 
of  the  wood  horn  for  the  old-fashioned  tin.  The  manu- 
facture of  tone  arms  is  another  of  those  industries 
which  was  mainly  in  the  hands  of  the  German,  but 
several  firms  have  recently  added  this  to  other 
kinds  of  metal  work  in  the  Midlands  and  are  doing 
uncommonly  well.1 

The  taste  of  the  public  seems  now  to  run  upon  horn- 
less machines  of  all  sorts,  and  beautiful  specimens 
of  the  cabinet  maker's  art  are  displayed  on  all  sides, 
camouflaging  the  real  instrument.  Some  of  these 
disguised  gramophones  cost  as  much  as  two  or  three 
hundred  pounds,  and  even  more,  the  purchaser  being 
mulcted  to  that  extent,  not  because  of  the  superior 
quality  of  the  machine  itself,  but  by  reason  of  its  appear- 
ance as  an  article  of  furniture.  To  our  mind  the  principle 
of  the  concealed  horn  is  an  entire  mistake.  By  the 
irrefragible  law  of  acoustics  the  tendency  of  sound  is  to 
rise.  What  has  now  become  the  old-fashioned  horn 
diffused  the  sound  throughout  the  apartment.  The 
concealed  horn  turns  the  sound  down  and  it  is  emitted 
through  an  opening  in  the  body  of  the  cabinet,  which 
may  be  closed  or  open.  A  frequent  method  is  not  to 

1  We  have  quite  recently  seen  a  square  wood  tone  arm  in 
connection  with  a  hornless  gramophone.  It  gives  fairly  good 
results,  but  is  not  yet  on  the  market.  Another  type  is  made  of 
hollowed  beech,  in  two  sections,  smoothly  polished  inside  and 
out.  It  has  just  been  brought  out  and  is  known  as  the  "  All 
Wood  "  tone  arm.  Great  difficulty  was  experienced  by  the 
inventor  in  getting  the  tapered  bore  round  the  angle,  but  success 
came  to  him  at  last,  and  the  accessory  promises  to  be  of  great 
service.  Used  with  a  wooden  amplifier  all  the  disagreeable 
metallic  sound  will  disappear. 


54  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

have  a  horn  at  all  but  a  sound  chamber  which  is  of  any 
shape  that  the  exigencies  of  space  determine.  If  the 
space  be  square  the  sound  will  reverberate  from  side  to 
side  and  become  confused.  Besides,  being  confined,  the 
sound  must  necessarily  be  restricted.  It  cannot  give  the 
value  in  volume  which  was  obtained  from  the  open  horn. 
The  best  kind  of  open  horn  is,  of  course,  that  made  of 
wood.  It  does  away  with  the  harsh,  metallic  sound 


A  TYPICAL  TABLE  GRAND  MODEL  OF 
THE  COLUMBIA  GRAFONOLA 

which  the  early  trumpets  invariably  gave  forth,  and  was 
in  a  great  measure  the  cause  of  the  prejudice  which 
formerly  existed  against  the  instrument.  With  a  good 
wood  horn,  and  the  best  makes  of  other  accessories,  the 
gramophone  is  not  an  instrument  to  be  ashamed  of, 
and  we  see  no  reason  why  one  should  wish  to  hide  his 
talking  machine  under  another  guise — a  view  shared, 
we  know,  by  several  manufacturers,  who,  however, 
have  had  to  bow  to  the  public  demand  for  the  cabinet 
type. 


MOTORS,  SOUND  BOXES,  HORNS,  ETC.       55 

One  of  the  most  indispensable  accessories  of  the 
gramophone  is  the  needle.  In  the  cylinder  machine  it 
is  permanently  affixed  to  the  diaphragm  in  the  form  of 
a  sapphire  or  diamond  point,  but  in  the  case  of  the  disc 
machine  it  is,  except  with  phono-cut  records,  a  separate 
entity.  Its  duty  is  to  follow  the  sound  waves  which 
have  been  transformed  into  sinuosities  in  the  bed  of  the 
track  and  transmit  the  vibrations  to  the  sound  box, 
where,  as  we  have  seen,  these  vibrations  are  reconverted 
into  sound  by  the  diaphragm  and  sent  out  through  the 
tone  arm  and  amplifier  to  the  world  at  large.  The  needle, 
then,  is  the  first  link  in  the  chain  between  the  record  and 
the  human  ear. 

Many  are  the  varieties  of  needles  employed  in  the 
reproduction  of  sound,  the  most  common  of  all  being 
the  short  slip  of  steel  wire  sharpened  to  a  point.  These 
are  now  manufactured  in  their  thousands  of  millions  and 
are  sold  in  boxes  containing  a  hundred.  Redditch, 
which  is  the  centre  of  the  sewing  needle  and  fish-hook 
industry,  took  up  the  gramophone  needle  business  as 
soon  as  the  makers  found  there  was  a  demand  for 
these  small  wares,  and  has  thus  added  considerably  to 
its  prosperity.  Sheffield,  too,  has  done  well  out  of  them, 
and  there  are  small  factories  in  other  parts  of  the 
country. 

Every  record  manufacturing  company  now  send  out 
their  own  needles,  but  in  the  days  when  the  Berliner  disc 
was  first  introduced  to  this  country  the  purchaser  of  a 
machine  had  to  be  content  with  a  single,  solitary  needle 
to  play  all  records  of  the  new  class.  One  of  the  earliest 
gramophone  users  in  the  United  Kingdom  has  told  us 
that  in  the  year  1893  he  bought  a  Berliner  "  gramma- 
phon,"  as  the  word  was  then  spelt,  and  along  with  it 
received  the  precious  steel  needle.  This  he  kept  for 
three  years,  sharpening  it  occasionally  on  emery  cloth. 


56  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

When  it  defied  sharpening  he  took  to  sewing  needles. 
What  the  state  of  that  gentleman's  records  must  have 
been  we  dread  to  think. 

When  the  Gramophone  Company  began  to  trade  in  disc 
machines  in  this  country  at  the  commencement  of  this 
century,  they  sold  their  needles  separately,  but  they 
were  all  of  one  class,  loud  toned  and  giving  a  coarse 
reproduction.  Soon  afterwards  it  was  discovered  that 
a  great  deal  depended  upon  the  needle  in  tone-value, 
in  true  verisimilitude  and  in  volume.  Experiments 
were  made  and  different  kinds  of  the  steel  needle  were 
manufactured,  loud  toned,  soft  toned,  medium  toned,  and 
so  forth.  Disc  enthusiasts  changed  their  needles  for 
each  class  of  record,  a  certain  needle  for  voice  reproduc- 
tion, another  for  instrumental,  and  still  another  for 
bands  and  orchestras.  Some  went  as  far  as  to  use 
special  needles  for  each  kind  of  voice,  soprano,  contralto, 
tenor  and  bass,  and  also  for  solo  instruments,  violin, 
piano,  etc.  We  are  told  that  a  few  dilletanti  do  so 
regularly  now  and  doubtless  they  are  on  the  right 
side. 

The  great  drawback  to  the  steel  needle  is  that  it  should 
never  be  used  more  than  once.  Some  benighted  people, 
seeing  directions  to  that  effect  upon  the  box,  imagine 
it  to  be  a  dodge  to  sell  more  needles,  but  they  were  never 
more  mistaken  in  their  lives.  If  they  desire  to  keep 
their  records  from  wearing  out  rapidly  it  is  essential 
that  the  needle  should  be  changed  with  every  disc 
placed  upon  the  turntable.  The  record  is  made  of  an 
exceedingly  hard,  though  somewhat  brittle,  material. 
The  track  upon  the  surface,  if  extended  in  a  straight  line, 
would  measure  several  hundred  feet.  The  point  has 
to  traverse  the  whole  of  that  distance,  and  must 
necessarily  become  worn  in  doing  so.  If  it  were  worn 
evenly  it  would  not  so  much  matter,  but  the  mischief 


MOTORS,  SOUND  BOXES,  HORNS,  ETC. 


57 


of  it  is  that  it  is  not.  As  the  record  revolves  the  needle 
is  pressed  inwardly  against  the  side  of  the  groove,  and 
the  point  is  ground  flat  where  the  pressure  takes  place. 
As  it  gradually  nears  the  centre  of  the  disc  the  needle 
becomes  more  upright  and  the  pressure  is  not  so  great, 
but  in  assuming  its  new  position  it  presents  an  edge  to 
the  side  of  the  track  which  cuts  into  the  substance, 


By  the  courtesy  of  Messrs.  J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd. 

UNUSED    CHROMIC    NEEDLE    RUNNING- IN    GROOVE 
(Microscopically  enlarged  by  James  Scott) 

hard  though  it  be.  When  this  needle  is  used  again  and 
starts  at  the  outside  of  the  record  it  will  be  at  a  slightly 
different  angle,  and  the  cutting  process  will  begin 
immediately.  There  was  a  splendid  article  upon  this 
subject  in  the  Talking  Machine  News  some  time  ago 
by  Mr.  James  Scott,  the  well-known  microscopist,  with 
greatly  magnified  drawings  of  the  damage  done  as  seen 
under  the  microscope.  If  every  gramophone  user  were 
to  read  that  article  and  examine  those  illustrations  he 


58  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

would  never  submit  a  record  to  the  same  needle  a  second 
time. 

In  the  year  1908  a  Mr.  Frederick  Durize  Hall,  of 
Chicago,  took  out  a  patent  for  what  he  called  a  "  fibre  " 
needle,  the  material  of  which  it  is  made  being  a  fibrous 
vegetable  substance,  "  preferably  bamboo."  This 
"  preferably  bamboo,"  we  suppose,  means  that  the  patent 


By  the  courtesy  of  Messrs   J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd. 
NEEDLES   SHOWING   WEAR   BY   CONTACT  WITH   RECORD 

should  cover  all  types  of  fibre  needles,  but  we  don't 
think  that  it  would.  Anyhow,  bamboo  is  the  "  vegetable 
substance  "  of  which  all  these  styli  are  formed,  and  for 
the  last  nine  or  ten  years  a  miniature  war  has  been 
waged  between  the  supporters  of  the  old-fashioned 
steel  needle  and  the  followers  of  the  new  cult.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  army  of  the  latter  is  increasing. 
Recruits  are  coming  in  every  day  and  the  fibre  has 
gained  a  firm  footing  in  the  gramophone  world.  The 
shape  of  this  needle  is  triangular  and  the  point  is  formed 


MOTORS,  SOUND  BOXES,  HORNS,  ETC.       59 

by  a  slanting  cross  section  so  that  one  of  the  angles  fits 
into  the  groove  of  the  record.  In  using  this  fibre 
stylus  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  triangular  hole  cut, 
instead  of  the  usual  round  one,  in  the  needle  socket  of 
the  sound  box,  because  the  little  screw  of  the  holder  will 
not  give  a  sufficiently  firm  grip.  Having  this  done, 
however,  spoils  the  holder  for  future  use  with  the  steel 
needle.  To  obviate  this  disadvantage  Mr.  Daws  Clarke, 
of  Manchester,  has  patented  an  ingenious  little  fitment, 
known  as  the  Needle  Tension  Attachment,  by  which 
either  the  steel  or  the  fibre  needle  may  be  rendered 
perfectly  rigid.  This  invention  gives  an  improved  tone 
to  reproduction  no  matter  which  kind  of  needle  is 
used.  There  is  also  another  accessory  we  have  seen, 
with  a  short  round  shank  to  fit  in  the  round  needle 
hole,  and  a  triangular  cutting  at  the  other  end  for  the 
fibre. 

To  those  who  prefer  a  soft,  and  even  reproduction, 
with  a  diminution  of  surface  scratch,  to  the  loud,  and 
sometimes  strident,  tones  of  the  steel  needle,  the  fibre 
is  certainly  to  be  recommended,  but  there  is  an  imper- 
fection in  it  that  cannot  be  disguised.  It  will  not  last 
more  than  one  side  of  the  record  through  without 
re-sharpening,  and  we  have  found  it  fail  to  play  a  twelve 
inch  record  satisfactorily  to  the  end,  which  is  most 
annoying.  Several  little  implements  have  been  brought 
out  to  effect  the  repointing,  the  best  of  which  we  consider 
to  be  the  Wade,  a  pliers  like  tool  which  is  so  set  that 
a  blade  snips  off  the  point  at  the  correct  angle. 

While  on  the  subject  of  the  fibre  needle  we  may 
mention  that  not  long  ago  we  had  some  ordinary  hedge- 
row thorns  sent  to  us  as  samples  by  a  gentleman  who  is 
the  secretary  of  one  of  our  most  prosperous  talking 
machine  societies  and  a  great  enthusiast.  These  had  been 
cut,  trimmed  and  dried,  and  though  their  appearance 


60  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

might  have  been  a  little  crude  they  gave  forth  a 
reproduction  almost  as  good  as  the  vaunted  fibre  needle. 
Under  these  circumstances  there  is  no  reason  why  every 
gramophonist  should  not  become  his  own  needle  provider. 

There  is  another  natural  needle  of  which  we  have 
heard  excellent  accounts,  but  it  belongs  to  the  animal 
and  not  the  vegetable  kingdom.  That  is  the  hedgehog 
spine.  We  have  never  listened  to  a  record  played  by 
this  singular  stylus,  but  we  were  in  conversation  with  a 
gentleman  not  long  ago  who  had  been  spending  a 
holiday  in  Devonshire  and  had  heard  many  reproduc- 
tions by  means  of  these  sharp-pointed  quills.  His  report 
of  them  is  entirely  favourable.  He  tells  us  that  he 
believes  them  to  be  better  than  the  fibre  needle  and  that 
the  reproduction  lasts  longer. 

To  return  to  the  steel  needle,  there  is  a  variant  of  it 
in  the  spear-point,  of  which  there  are  a  good  many 
varieties.  The  advantage  of  this  is  that  it  may  be  used 
in  three  or  four  different  ways.  Having  played  a  record 
through  with  the  flat  of  the  spear  head  at  right  angles 
to  the  groove  you  turn  it  round  and  get  the  other  side 
to  work.  That  finished,  by  a  half  turn  you  get  the 
flanges  parallel  with  the  track,  and  you  can  repeat  the 
operation  for  the  remaining  side.  It  is  said  that  by 
these  four  turns  the  two  double-sided  records  which  they 
cover  do  not  suffer,  but  we  "  ha'e  oor  doots." 

Besides  the  sapphire  and  diamond  tipped  styli  used 
for  phono-cut  records  which  are  permanently  attached 
to  the  sound  box,  there  was  put  upon  the  market  some 
years  ago  a  diamond  pointed  needle  shaped  not  unlike 
a  very  small  peg-top  with  a  thin  shank  to  fit  into  the 
ordinary  holder,  and  we  understand  a  needle  of  the  same 
description  with  a  glass  point  was  also  tried,  but  the 
difficulty  and  expense  of  manufacture  proved  too 
great,  though  the  points  were  practically  everlasting. 


MOTORS,  SOUND  BOXES,  HORNS,  ETC.       61 

Tungsten  wire  fitted  into  a  nickel  sheath  is  the  latest 
thing  for  the  needle-cut  disc.  The  first  of  these  that  we 
saw  came  to  us  all  the  way  from  Chile,  some  two  or  three 
years  ago,  but  we  were  not  greatly  impressed  by  it. 
Since  then  the  Gramophone  Company  have  brought  out 
a  similar  stylus,  under  the  name  of  the  Tungstyle  Needle, 
but  in  our  opinion  it  will  not  be  a  success.  The  repro- 
duction by  it  is  thin  and  hard  like  the  needle  itself,  and 
though  it  is  guaranteed  to  play  something  like  a  hundred 
and  fifty  records  without  the  necessity  of  changing, 
we  don't  believe  it  will  ever  take  the  place  of  a  good 
soft  steel  point.  Tungsten,  of  course,  is  ever  so  much 
harder  than  steel,  and  its  wearable  quality  is  therefore 
vastly  superior,  but  there  the  advantage  of  the  tungstyle 
stops.  There  are  hard  steel  needles  issued  by  various 
manufacturers  which  will  play  up  to  ten  records  without 
wear,  but  we  never  heard  any  of  these  that  we  cared 
for.  The  tone  has  always  been  too  metallic.  The 
Chromic  needle,  issued  by  J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd.,  is,  however, 
a  good  one.  It  is  of  a  golden  hue  and  will  play  its  ten 
records  without  fail.  As  good  a  needle  as  we  know  is 
the  Ideal  belonging  to  the  Columbia  Company,  and  this 
we  most  frequently  use  for  the  sample  records  submitted 
to  us  for  review,  this  being  a  soft-tone  (piano),  though 
we  believe  the  same  company's  loud- tone  (forte) 
"  Superbe  "  needle  is  most  popular  generally. 

•  The  war  between  the  fibre  and  the  steel  needle  still 
goes  on,  and  we  daresay  will  continue  to  go  on  till  some 
new  material  is  discovered  combining  the  good  qualities 
of  both.  Until  then  we  shall  remain  strictly  neutral. 


CHAPTER  VI 

HOW   GRAMOPHONE   RECORDS   ARE   MADE 

ONCE  upon  a  time  we  had  our  voice  recorded  upon  a 
disc,  so  that  we  can  tell  from  personal  experience  what 
the  initiatory  process  is  like.  It  was  about  ten  years 
ago  and  we  had  perpetrated  what  in  our  secret  soul  we 
imagined  to  be  a  poem.  We  daresay  it  was  poor  stuff, 
but,  as  the  subject  was  topical,  the  manager  of  a  certain 
company  believed  it  might  have  an  ephemeral  sale, 
which  would  pay  for  the  production  and  a  bit  more, 
so  we  were  persuaded  to  have  it  embalmed  in  shellac. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  the  record  was  a  dead  failure,  not 
from  the  recording  point  of  view,  but  because  it  was 
actually  too  late  for  the  market.  The  presumably 
wretched  verses,  we  may  tell  you,  were  recited  not 
sung. 

Having  ascended  an  interminable  number  of  stairs 
we  found  ourselves  in  an  absolutely  bare  apartment 
save  for  a  single  music  stand.  A  tall,  stout  young 
gentleman — he  is  now  one  of  the  greatest  recording 
experts  in  the  world — came  to  us  and  in  an  affable 
manner  announced  that  everything  was  ready.  He 
pointed  to  a  long  trumpet-like  tube  which  projected 
from  the  wall  and  directed  us  to  take  up  our  position  in 
front  of  it  with  our  mouth  about  6  ins.  from  the  opening. 
"  When  the  light  shows,"  he  said  "  you  can  fire  away." 
Then  he  left  us  alone.  It  was  desperately  uncanny, 
but  we  braced  ourselves  for  the  inevitable. 

Presently  the  light  flashed,  and  we  spouted  for  all 
we  were  worth  to  an  unseen  audience.  Half-way  through 
we  made  a  slip  and  immediately  the  light  signalled. 

62 


HOW   GRAMOPHONE    RECORDS   ARE    MADE  63 

The  young  gentleman  spoke  from  the  other  side  of  the 
wall.  "  It's  a  pity,"  he  remarked;  "  you  were  doing 
very  well,  but  I've  got  another  blank." 

After  a  time  the  light  flashed  once  more  and  we  started 
from  the  beginning  as  before.  Straight  through  we 
went  to  the  end  without  a  falter,  and  then  there  came 
from  beyond  the  partition  the  order  to  wait  a  minute. 
We  waited  till  all  at  once  there  broke  upon  our  ear  from 
the  other  end  of  the  horn  an  unknown  voice  repeating 
the  rhymes  we  had  previously  uttered  on  the  spoiled 
record.  It  was  most  curious,  but  it  did  not  sound  to 
ourselves  as  our  own  voice.  Robert  Burns  says,  "  Oh, 
wad  some  power  the  giftie  gi'e  us  to  ^ee  oorsels  as 
ithers  see  us,"  but  the  gramophone  has  now  brought  to 
us  the  power  of  hearing  ourselves  as  others  hear  us, 
and  the  result  is  not  in  the  least  like  that  which  we  had 
imagined.  We  are  deceived  by  our  own  tones.  Our 
friends  hear  them  in  quite  a  different  key  from  that 
in  which  we  believe  them  to  be  uttered  ;  at  least,  that 
was  our  first  impression  on  listening  to  them.  After- 
wards, when  we  became  accustomed  to  the  record,  the 
strange  feeling  wore  off. 

For  a  few  minutes  we  stood  in  the  bare  room  waiting 
for  further  developments,  and  then  the  recorder  returned 
to  us.  In  his  open  hands  he  carried  the  wax  wherein 
was  deposited  our  poem  with  all  its  imperfections. 

"  I  believe  I've  got  you  all  right,"  he  said,  and  we 
put  on  our  glasses  and  gazed  upon  the  thing  he  held. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  seen  except  the  crowded  grooves 
upon  the  substance  he  displayed  to  us.  We  intimated 
that  we  were  satisfied,  and  shaking  hands  with  the  man 
who  had  taken  irrevocable  possession  of  our  voice,  we 
descended  the  long,  long  stairs  and  so  to  the  busy  street. 

A  few  days  afterwards  catastrophe  befell.  A  wire 
called  us  back  to  the  recording  room.  In  the  process  of 


64 


THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 


manufacture  the  wax  master  had  been  damaged,  and 
the  whole  operation  of  recording  had  to  be  repeated. 
This  delayed  the  issue  of  the  disc  and  the  market 
was  lost.  For  that  reason  our  poem  has  not  gone  down 
to  posterity,  and  we  remain  a  "  mute  inglorious  Milton." 
All  recordings,  however,  are  not  performed  in  the 


SIR   HENRY    J.    WOOD    CONDUCTING    THE    NEW    QUEEN  S 
HALL   ORCHESTRA   FOR   A   COLUMBIA   RECORD 


simple  fashion  we  have  described.  There  are  the  vocal 
records  of  duets,  trios,  quartettes  and  choruses  to  be 
made,  with  their  accompaniments.  Then  we  have 
bands  and  orchestras.  All  the  great  military  bands, 
Grenadiers,  Coldstreams,  Scots  Guards,  Irish  Guards 
and  Welsh  Guards  are  constantly  being  recorded,  and 
to  pack  these  big  organizations  into  a  recording  room 
requires  a  good  deal  of  ingenuity.  The  performers, 
too,  must  be  placed  in  such  positions  that  no  single 


HOW    GRAMOPHONE    RECORDS   ARE    MADE  65 

instrument  must  predominate,  the  just  ensemble 
must  be  preserved.  Experience  has  taught  how  this 
is  to  be  adjusted,  and  the  conductor  who  has  had  a  good 
knowledge  of  the  recording  room  will  generally  settle 
his  men  down  or  up  without  much  difficulty. 

When  a  large  body  of  musicians  have  to  make  a  record 
there  are  often  three  or  four  recording  horns  employed, 
converging  on  a  point  in  the  partition  for  the  purpose 
of  collecting  the  sound  waves  and  concentrating  them 
upon  the  diaphragm.  It  will  at  once  be  perceived  that 
in  this  way  a  fuller  reproduction  can  be  accomplished. 

There  are  certain  musical  instruments  which  have 
proved  very  baffling  to  the  recorder.  For  many  years 
the  violin  and  the  piano  were  both  enormous  stumbling 
blocks.  Indeed,  it  is  only  quite  recently  that  the  latter 
has  been  brought  into  subjection.  Formerly  the  notes 
of  a  piano,  as  heard  on  the  talking  machine,  seemed  to 
emanate  from  a  banjo,  but  now,  by  dint  of  careful 
experiment  and  enlarged  experience,  the  recording 
expert  has  brought  the  reproduction  as  close  to  perfec- 
tion as  the  gramophone  up  to  the  present  time  can  bring 
it.  We  listened  a  few  weeks  ago  to  a  record  from  which 
was  reproduced  a  piece  by  Saint  Sae'ns,  played  by  the 
great  French  pianist,  M.  Alfred  Cortot,  in  which  the 
exact  tones  of  a  grand  piano  were  given  without  the 
slightest  difference  from  the  instrument,  save  for  the 
inevitable  surface  scratch.  It  is  now  the  same  with  the 
violin. 

In  November,  1920,  there  arrived  in  this  country 
from  America  eight  records  by  that  amazing  Russian 
youth,  Jascha  Heifetz.  A  party  of  the  greatest  musicians 
and  critics  in  this  country  was  called  together  at  the 
Piccadilly  Hotel  to  hear  them.  Those  experts  were 
astounded  at  the  marvellous  technique  of  the  young 
executant — he  was  then  only  nineteen — so  much  so, 


66  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

indeed,  that  one  of  the  most  noted  composers  of  England 
dubbed  him  "  the  modern  Paganini."  Six  months  later 
Heifetz  himself  reached  London  to  give  four  perform- 
ances in  as  many  weeks  at  the  Queen's  Hall.  At  the 
first  of  these  there  was  a  great  gathering  of  the  cognoscenti. 
Next  morning  the  worst  one  of  our  leading  dailies  could 
find  to  say  against  the  youthful  virtuoso  was  that  he 
played  exactly  like  his  records.  It  was  intended  for 
disparagement,  but  could  a  greater  tribute  have  been 
paid  to  the  gramophone  ?  Incidentally  we  may  mention 
that,  before  Heifetz  set  his  foot  on  British  soil,  the 
Gramophone  Company,  of  Hayes,  Middlesex — the  great 
concern  which  manufactures  and  issues  the  famous 
"  His  Master's  Voice"  discs — had  sold  no  fewer  than 
70,000  of  his  records  !  This  is  an  extraordinary  -fact, 
and  illustrates  very  clearly  the  vast  development  of  the 
talking  machine  industry  in  this  country  within  recent 
years. 

To  get  behind  the  scenes  of  the  recording  room,  that 
is,  into  the  sanctum  sanctorum  of  the  recorder,  is  a  very 
difficult  matter,  for  the  secrets  there  are  most  jealously 
guarded.  It  has  been  our  privilege,  however,  to  be 
admitted  into  one  of  these  inner  sanctuaries,  and, 
without  giving  away  any  of  the  hidden  technicalities 
of  the  process  we  witnessed,  for  each  recorder  has  his 
own  individual  methods,  we  can  give  a  general  description 
which  will  not  reveal  more  than  is  necessary. 

On  stepping  into  the  private  domain  of  the  recording 
expert  we  were  at  once  sensible  of  a  considerable  rise 
in  the  temperature.  We  read  in  a  newspaper  the  other 
day  that  this  access  of  heat  is  perceptible  in  the  outer 
room,  but  we  cannot  say  that,  on  the  occasion  of 
our  first  visit,  when  we  made  the  record  of  which  we 
have  spoken,  we  experienced  the  slightest  change. 
However,  we  dare  say,  if  the  exterior  recording  room 


HOW   GRAMOPHONE   RECORDS   ARE   MADE  67 

be  crowded  with  a  band,  orchestra,  or  full  chorus  the 
atmosphere  would  become  somewhat  stifling.  There 
is  no  necessity  for  the  public  room,  as  we  may  call  it,  to 
be  artificially  heated,  but  it  is  different  with  the  inner 
chamber.  There  the  temperature  must  be  maintained 
at  a  certain  height  because  the  wax  of  the  blanks  has 
to  be  of  the  requisite  consistency  for  the  recording 
needle  to  run  smoothly.  These  blanks  are  kept  in 
warmed  cupboards  around  the  room,  and  when  the 
operator  is  at  work  they  must  be  in  perfect  condition. 
Several  of  them  may  be  spoiled  in  the  making  of  a  record, 
when  they  have  afterwards  to  be  submitted  to  a  process 
of  "  shaving  "  by  a  special  instrument  invented  for  the 
purpose. 

Although  we  play  on  the  talking  machine  with  one 
sound  box  for  all  manner  of  records,  in  the  cutting  of  the 
blank  many  different  sound  boxes  are  used.  Thus  the 
recorder  will  employ  one  for  soprano,  another  for 
contralto,  and  so  on,  varying  his  reproducers  as  experience 
has  taught  him.  It  is  wonderful  what  a  variety  are 
necessary.  For  instance,  a  sound  box  which  will  make  a 
perfect  reproduction  of  a  violin  solo  will  be  of  no  use  in 
recording  a  string  quartette,  so  one  can  imagine  the 
years  of  close  study  and  intense  application  which  the 
expert  must  go  through  before  he  is  qualified  to  make  a 
record  of  a  Caruso  or  a  Heifetz.  There  are  not  many 
highly  skilled  recorders,  and  it  is  not  needful  that  there 
should  be,  for  the  record  manufacturers  in  this  country 
are  few  and  far  between  ;  but  when  once  a  manufac- 
turing firm  has  found  an  expert  who  is  thoroughly 
capable  it  is  very  loth  to  let  him  go,  so  that  most  of  these 
truly  scientific  gentlemen  may  reckon  upon  high  salaries 
and  continuous  service. 

In  making  a  record  it  is  absolutely  incumbent  upon  the 
recording  machine  being  completely  stable,  for  the 

&—  (1466E) 


68  THE    TALKING   MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

slightest  vibration  of  the  stylus  other  than  that  imparted 
by  the  diaphragm  will  render  the  reproduction  worth- 
less. Therefore,  not  only  must  the  turntable  on  which 
the  blank  is  imposed  run  freely  and  steadily,  but  the 
supports  must  be  immovable,  so  that  no  tremor  can 
reach  the  wax  while  the  stylus  is  doing  its  work.  The 
motive  power  varies  in  different  recording  rooms. 
Some  prefer  an  electric  motor,  while  others  use  weight- 
driven  mechanism  like  those  of  the  old-fashioned 
grandfather's  clocks,  but  heavier.  The  latter  was  the 
system  in  vogue  with  the  firm  whose  room  we  were 
allowed  to  inspect.  They  claim  that  the  movement  is 
steadier,  though  even  then,  delicately  balanced 
governors  are  adjusted  to  ensure  invariability. 

We  have  previously  mentioned  that  the  recording 
diaphragm  is  almost  always  of  glass,  as  it  is  the  substance 
most  amenable  to  the  action  of  the  sound  waves.  A 
lever  attachment  fits  it  to  the  cutting  point,  which  is  in 
nearly  every  case  a  jewel  that  has  been  most  carefully 
treated  for  the  purpose  of  performing  its  work  with  the 
utmost  exactitude. 

The  wax  blank  having  been  selected,  dusted  to  remove 
every  particle  of  foreign  matter  and  placed  upon  the 
turntable,  the  recorder  gives  the  signal  and  the  pianist 
in  the  next  room  begins  the  symphony  to  a  song.  The 
artist  follows  with  the  air  and  all  the  time  the  blank  is 
spinning  with  the  turntable.  We  watch  it  with  a 
sort  of  fascination.  Thin  threads  of  composition  curl 
up  from  the  jewel  point  and  are  blown  off  as 
they  rise,  till  presently  the  song  is  finished,  and  the 
vacant  space  on  the  wax  has  become  covered  with 
the  grooves  that  are  so  familar  to  us  on  the  finished 
record. 

On  the  day  we  visited  the  company's  premises  the 
artist  who  was  engaged  was  a  well-known  lady  singer, 


HOW   GRAMOPHONE    RECORDS   ARE    MADE  69 

who  is  a  great  favourite  among  gramophone  users.  She 
has  made  many  records  and  is  quite  accustomed  to  the 
horn,  yet  the  expert  would  not  allow  the  first  to  pass. 
He  put  it  through  on  the  wax,  but  it  would  not  satisfy 
him,  and  it  was  not  until  he  had  taken  the  third  or  fourth 
of  the  same  song,  that  he  gave  a  kind  of  grumbling 
consent  to  let  it  go.  You  see,  these  gentlemen  are  so 
very  exacting. 

When,  at  last,  he  was  to  a  certain  extent  pleased,  he 
took  up  the  wax,  went  over  it  carefully  with  a  camel's 
hair  brush  and  packed  it  in  a  box  with  cotton  wool. 
It  was  ready  to  be  dispatched  to  the  factory. 

That  was  the  whole  of  our  recording  room  experience, 
but  it  was  only  the  beginning  of  the  adventures  of  the 
disc.  It  had  still  to  go  through  several  processes  before 
it  emerged  from  the  factory  a  fully  developed  record. 
Some  of  these  we  have  attempted  to  explain  in  our  chap- 
ter on  the  Disc  Machine,  but  there  will  be  no  harm  in 
laying  the  whole  process  before  our  readers  succinctly 
and  clearly  before  we  pass  on  to  other  matters. 

As  soon  as  the  wax  record,  which  is  called  the  master, 
arrives  at  the  factory  it  is  plunged  into  the  electrotyping 
bath  which  deposits  on  its  surface  a  copper  coating 
that  enters  into  every  twist  and  wriggle  made  by  the 
recording  needle  within  the  grooves.  These,  of  course, 
represent  the  sound  waves  passed  on  by  the  vibrations 
of  the  diaphragm.  When  this  coating  is  sufficiently 
thick  it  is  removed  and  brings  with  it  the  exact  impres- 
sion of  the  wax  reversed.  This  forms  a  complete  mould 
and  might  be  used  as  such,  as,  indeed,  it  was  at  one 
time,  but  so  many  accidents  by  breakage  and  such 
like  took  place  that  nowadays  the  companies  run  no 
risks.  Other  wax  impressions  are  made  from  it  which 
in  their  turn  are  electrotyped,  so  that  several  matrices 
are  formed,  which  are  then  nickel-plated,  polished  and 


70  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

receive  a  strong  backing  of  heavy  steel  as  a  support. 
They  are  then  ready  for  the  presses.  Before  going  into 
that,  however,  we  may  as  well  tell  you  about  the 
substance  that  is  pressed  into  the  moulds. 

Recently  there  has  been  a  good  deal  of  grumbling 
about  the  advanced  prices  of  records,  and  some  of  the 
manufacturing  companies  have  explained  that  the 
chief  contributing  cause  of  this  has  been  the  enormously 
increased  cost  of  shellac.  Numbers  of  the  public  wanted 
to  know  what  shellac  had  to  do  with  it,  being  com- 
pletely unaware  that  shellac  is  the  principal  ingredient 
in  the  manufacture  of  disc  records.  Many  believed 
that  the  discs,  with  their  beautifully  polished  surfaces, 
were  made  of  vulcanite.  In  fact,  a  friend  of  ours  only 
the  other  day  was  so  convinced  of  this  that  he  offered 
to  lay  pretty  heavy  odds  that  they  were.  It  was  a 
difficult  matter  to  undeceive  him,  and  not  until  we 
produced  a  book  on  the  subject  would  he  admit  that  he 
was  wrong.  The  actual  ingredients  are  shellac,  the 
mineral  barytes,  rotten  stone,  flock  (made  from  rags) 
and  lamp-black.  Different  companies  use  these  com- 
ponents in  varying  quantities,  but  if  the  records  be 
analysed  they  will  all  be  found  to  consist  of  each  of  these 
substances.  They  are  ground  together  and  then  passed 
through  heated  rollers  which  melt  the  shellac,  with  the 
result  that  the  whole  becomes  a  soft  black  paste  which 
hardens  when  cold,  and  is  then  broken  up  into  square 
pieces. 

When  the  discs  pass  into  the  pressing  room  the  steel 
backing  is  laid  upon  a  heated  table  with  the  mould 
upwards,  and  the  label  of  the  record  is  placed  face 
downwards  against  the  centre  of  the  mould.  A  few 
pieces  of  the  hard  black  preparation  are  then  heated 
until  they  soften,  when  they  are  transferred  to  the  warm 
disc.  If  a  single-sided  record  be  desired  a  steel  plate 


HOW   GRAMOPHONE   RECORDS   ARE   MADE  71 

of  the  size  of  the  under  disc  is  placed  on  the  top,  but  if 
the  record  is  to  be  double-faced,  another  mould  is  placed 
face  downwards  over  the  black  material,  with  the  label 
between.  The  pair  are  then  moved  into  a  powerful 
hydraulic  press  and  the  black  composition  is  flattened 
out  to  the  thickness  of  the  record,  working  itself  into 
every  groove  and  infinitesimal  sinuosity  by  the  pressure 
placed  upon  it.  When  it  cools  it  is  quite  hard  and  only 
requires  trimming,  which  is  done  by  placing  the  record 
between  two  revolving  discs  and  applying  sandpaper 
to  the  whirling  edge.  The  labels  have  adhered  to  the 
centre  of  the  record  by  reason  of  the  sticky  nature  of 
the  shellac,  and  the  records  are  then  carried  off  to  the 
examiner  who  tests  them.  The  inferior  ones  are  rejected 
and  those  which  are  passed  are  placed  in  the  envelopes 
for  the  market. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   BIG   MANUFACTURING   COMPANIES 

IN  England  at  the  present  time  there  are  four  com- 
panies manufacturing  the  higher  priced  records.  Of 
these  The  Gramophone  Company,  Ltd.,  undoubtedly 
holds  the  field.  The  history  of  this  extensive  concern 
has  already  been  referred  to  cursorily  in  a  previous 
chapter,  but  we  would  like  to  lay  before  the  reader  a 
more  comprehensive  chronicle  of  its  origin  and  rise. 

Like  most  of  the  other  large  firms  engaged  in  the 
industry  The  Gramophone  Company  began  its  career 
in  America.  As  previously  stated,  Berliner  was  the 
man  who  gave  the  term  "  gramophone  "  to  his  invention 
of  a  disc  machine,  though  he  never  claimed  an  exclusive 
right  thereto.  In  1896  or  1897  Berliner  sold  his  English 
patent  rights,  including,  it  is  said,  his  rights  in  respect 
of  certain  patented  improvements,  to  a  private  firm 
calling  itself  The  Gramophone  Company,  taking  its 
name  from  the  instrument.  In  1899  this  concern 
transferred  its  business  to  a  company  incorporated 
under  the  style  of  The  Gramophone  Company,  Limited, 
the  object  of  which,  as  defined  by  its  Memorandum  of 
Association,  embraced,  inter  alia,  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  gramophones  and  phonographs  and  gramophone 
discs  and  phonograph  cylinders.  The  last  mentioned 
firm  continued  to  sell  machines  and  discs  made  under 
Berliner's  patent  until  the  following  year,  when  it 
parted  with  its  business  to  a  company  with  a  larger 
capital.  This  new  concern  had  about  the  same  time 
acquired  an  interest  in  typewriters,  and  was  incorporated 
as  The  Gramophone  and  Typewriter  Company,  Limited. 

72 


THE    BIG   MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES  73 

The  same  year  the  Tainter-Bell  patent  expired,  and  the 
graving  method  being  considered  superior  to  etching, 
the  company  abandoned  the  latter  process  and  adopted 
the  former,  continuing,  however,  to  use  the  name  of 
gramophone.  There  was  nothing  wrong  in  that,  for 
the  essence  of  the  Berliner  system  was  the  sinuous 
line  of  even  depth  and  the  word  "  gramophone  "  had 
come  to  denote  a  disc  talking  machine,  as  opposed  to  the 
phonograph  and  graphophone  which  were  at  that  time 
operated  by  cylinders. 

The  Gramophone  and  Typewriter  Company  estab- 
lished a  branch  in  England  almost  as  soon  as  it  was 
inaugurated,  with  Mr.  Barry  Owen  as  its  representative, 
and  some  time  afterwards  dropped  the  typewriter 
section  of  the  business,  reverting  to  the  old  title  of  The 
Gramophone  Company,  Ltd.  They  had  their  offices  in 
Maiden  Lane,  Co  vent  Garden,  and  so  rapid  was  the 
growth  of  this  British  branch  that  a  company  was 
formed  with  a  share  capital  of  £600,000,  the  ordinary 
shares  in  the  first  instance  being  offered  to  the  trade. 
Thereupon  they  removed  to  the  City  Road  where  they 
remained  in  full  swing  until  the  extensive  works  at 
Hayes,  Middlesex,  which  were  opened  in  1907,  were 
ready  to  receive  the  army  of  workers  of  every  description 
attached  to  the  firm.  This  enormous  factor}/  has  been 
enlarged  and  developed  since  that  date  until  it  now 
covers  twenty-three  acres  of  ground. 

Ever  since  the  expiry  of  Berliner's  1887  patent  The 
Gramophone  Company  had  arrogated  to  itself  the  sole 
right  to  the  term  "  gramophone."  In  its  dealings  with 
the  trade  it  had  consistently  claimed  monopoly  rights 
in  the  word  as  denoting  goods  of  its  own  manufacture 
only,  and  by  warning  circulars,  legal  proceedings  and 
threats  of  legal  proceedings,  had  done  its  best  to  support 
its  exclusive  claims.  Other  manufacturers  refrained 


74  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

from  describing  their  instruments  as  gramophones 
from  the  dread  of  infringing  the  alleged  rights  of  the 
company.  The  gigantic  bubble,  however,  was  destined 
to  be  pricked. 

In  the  year  1910  the  company  applied  for  power  to 
register  the  term  "  gramophone  "  as  applicable  solely 
to  the  wares  manufactured  and  dealt  in  by  them.  The 
most  memorable  case  ever  heard  of  in  the  talking 
machine  world  of  this  country  ensued.  It  came  before 
Mr.  Justice  Parker  and  lasted  four  days.  Experts, 
legal  and  otherwise,  were  called,  examined  and  cross- 
examined.  The  court  was  crammed  with  all  the 
leading  lights  of  the  trade,  who  were  there  either  as 
witnesses  or  as  spectators.  At  length  judgment  was 
pronounced  Power  was  refused,  and  the  word  "  gramo- 
phone "  became  the  property  of  anyone  who  had  a 
disc  machine  to  sell.  A  verbatim  note  of  the  whole 
proceedings  was  taken  at  the  time  by  the  Talking 
Machine  News,  and  was  published  the  morning  after 
judgment  was  delivered.  It  was  the  only  paper  that 
printed  the  case  in  extenso. 

In  legal  matters  The  Gramophone  Company  have  been 
rather  unfortunate,  for  previous  to  the  case  we  have 
spoken  of  they  lost  one  over  the  Gibson  tapering  tone  arm 
in  1906.  This  was  an  invention  for  which  they  claimed 
sole  rights.  These  were  disputed  and  the  action  went 
against  them.  Nevertheless,  if  they  have  been  unlucky 
in  the  courts  it  cannot  be  denied  they  have  been  mar- 
vellously successful  in  business.  Before  the  war  there 
were  subsidiary  companies  in  various  capitals  of  Europe, 
and  they  were  connected  with  the  great  Victor  Company 
of  America,  which  has  now  a  large  controlling  interest 
in  the  concern.  The  Zonophone  Company,  too,  has  been 
absorbed  by  this  firm. 

During  the  war  a  portion  of  the  huge  factory  at 


THE   BIG   MANUFACTURING   COMPANIES  75 

Hayes,  the  foundation-stone  of  which,  by  the  way,  was 
laid  by  Madame  Tetrazzini,  was  given  over  to  the 
manufacture  of  munitions.  It  is  believed  that  The 
Gramophone  Company  was  the  first  industrial  concern, 
not  normally  engaged  on  Government  contracts,  to 
convert  their  plant.  Within  ten  days  of  the  declaration 
of  war,  the  output  of  certain  essential  fuse  parts  was 
commenced.  These  required  extraordinary  accuracy 
and  the  mechanism  at  command  of  the  company  enabled 
them  to  make  a  beginning  almost  at  once. 

Of  the  artists  exclusively  engaged  to  make  the  famous 
"  His  Master's  Voice  "  records  for  the  company  we  shall 
speak  later,  and  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  the  "  Talking 
Machine  as  a  Teacher  "  we  shall  have  something  to  say 
of  the  firm's  efforts  in  that  direction. 

In  1899  The  Columbia  Phonograph  Company  was 
established  in  Washington,  U.S.A.,  thus  it  may  be 
said  to  be  among  the  very  earliest  of  the  concerns  to 
enter  the  industry,  and  it  has  been  one  of  the  most 
successful.  As  early  as  1887,  however,  the  parent 
company  of  the  Columbia,  and  literally  the  pioneers  in 
the  industry,  had  put  machines  and  cylinders  on  the 
market  under  licence  from  Bell  and  Tainter.  Being 
unable  to  carry  out  some  of  their  contracts,  the  American 
Company  made  arrangements  with  several  others  in  the 
various  States  to  act  as  sales-agents,  while  the  original 
company  limited  their  efforts  to  the  manufacturing  side. 
The  Columbia  Company  secured  one  of  these  sales-agen- 
cies, and  were  restricted  by  agreement  to  the  three  States 
of  Columbia,  Delaware  and  Maryland.  This  restriction 
did  not  last  long,  however,  for  the  prosperity  of  the 
Columbia  was  such  that  presently  it  ousted  all  the 
other  agencies,  extending  its  business  throughout  the 
whole  of  the  United  States.  Not  content  with  that, 
it  opened  branches  all  over  the  world  and  subsequently 


76  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

swallowed  up  the  American  Graphophone  Company  itself. 
Here  it  may  be  noted  that,  as  we  fancy  we  have  men- 
tioned before,  it  was  T.  H.  Macdonald,  of  the  Grapho- 
phone Company,  who  perfected  the  spring  motor.  Up 
till  then  electricity  had  been  used  for  the  driving  power, 
but  with  the  clockwork  mechanism  methods  were 
simplified  and  the  cost  of  machines  considerably 
cheapened. 

When  the  Columbia  Company  removed  their  chief 
offices  from  Washington  to  New  York,  Mr.  Frank 
Dorian  was  placed  in  charge  as  general  manager.  This 
move  occasioned  a  vast  expansion  of  trade  and  Mr. 
Dorian  was  sent  to  Paris  to  superintend  the  establish- 
ment of  the  European  connection .  His  energy  proved 
invaluable.  Rapid  strides  were  made  in  Paris  and  a 
branch  was  soon  opened  in  Berlin.  The  following  year 
the  London  business  was  reorganized  and  its  head- 
quarters formed  in  a  five  storey  building  in  Oxford 
Street  This  was  made  the  controlling  centre  for  Europe, 
and  Columbia  was  flourishing  like  the  green  bay  tree, 
Later  their  swiftly  developing  progress  warranted  a 
removal  to  larger  premises  in  Great  Eastern  Street, 
closer  to  the  seat  of  the  British  trade  which  lies  in  that 
neighbourhood.  At  that  time,  of  course,  their  records 
were  all  cylinders,  but  they  were  doing  admirable  work. 
It  was  about  this  time  that  they  contrived  to  obtain 
a  record  of  the  voice  of  Pope  Leo  XIII,  a  circumstance 
which  we  have  already  noted.  It  was  issued  almost  on 
the  very  day  of  the  venerable  Pontiff's  death,  and  so 
made  a  great  sensation  in  Catholic  circles.  They  also 
secured  some  valuable  cylinders  of  famous  singers  of 
the  time,  and  set  a  fashion  later  developed  by  the  discs 
of  the  Gramophone  Company. 

Finding  that,  in  England,  the  disc  was  supersed- 
ing the  cylinder,  the  Columbia  built  a  factory  at 


THE    BIG   MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES  77 

Wandsworth  and  started  manufacturing  lateral  cut 
records.  It  was  an  excellent  step  on  their  part,  for  they 
got  hold  of  some  of  the  best  voices  and  instrumentalists 
in  the  kingdom  and  their  productions  had  a  great 
vogue.  This  company  has  played  a  conspicuous  part 
in  the  fortunes  of  the  industry  here,  doing  excellent 
pioneer  work  in  various  directions,  and  aiming  to 
elevate  the  public  taste  in  gramophone  music. 

With  the  advent  of  Mr.  Louis  Sterling  as  European 
manager  of  the  company  fresh  life  was  imparted  into 
the  business,  and  their  instruments,  the  celebrated 
Grafonolas,  have  a  great  sale,  while  the  records  find 
purchasers  by  the  million.  The  Regal,  a  cheaper 
record,  is  also  issued  by  them  and  is  much  appreciated 
by  gramophone  users  whose  purses  are  not  so  well 
filled  as  those  of  the  purchasers  of  the  higher  grade 
Columbia. 

Pathe  Freres,  who  had  been  doing  a  very  large  con- 
tinental trade,  came  into  the  English  market  in  1902. 
By  the  exercise  of  a  little  ingenuity,  aided  by  Mr.  J.  E. 
Hough,  they  had  previously  circumvented  the  Edison 
embargo.  No  sooner,  however,  were  they  free  to  export 
their  goods  from  France  to  England  than  they  began  to 
do  an  extensive  trade  with  us.  The  Pathe  discs  are 
phono-cut,  i.e.  they  are  of  the  hill  and  dale  variety 
invented  by  Edison,  and  therefore  require  to  be  played 
with  a  special  needle.  To  this  end  the  firm  supplies  a 
sound  box  of  its  own  with  a  permanent  attachment  of 
a  ball-pointed  sapphire.  Quite  recently  it  has  brought 
out  a  reproducer  which  by  a  simple  contrivance  permits 
of  a  steel  needle  to  be  used  for  the  lateral  cut  disc  as 
well. 

In  the  early  days  Pathe  records  were  played  from  the 
centre  outward  to  the  periphery  of  the  disc,  but  since 
the  company  erected  a  British  factory  on  this  side 


78  THE   TALKING  MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

the  Channel  they  have  reversed  their  old  system  and  the 
record  is  now  played  in  the  same  manner  as  other  discs. 
Those  old  discs  were  splendid  fellows,  nearly  14  ins. 
across  and  embodied  the  voices  of  many  of  the  best 
continental  artists.  The  firm  actually  prevailed  upon 
Sara  Bernhardt  to  record  her  incomparable  tones,  and 
in  the  years  to  come  that  disc  ought  to  be  worth  much 
more  than  its  weight  in  gold.  The  records  are  now 
somewhat  reduced  in  size,  conforming  more  to  the 
width  of  ordinary  makes,  but  the  best  of  them  at  the 
present  time  are  the  most  expensive  on  sale  in  England. 
It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  Pathe  Freres  were  the  first 
to  introduce  the  language-teaching  record,  and  it  is 
quite  possible  that  they  may  revert  to  this  very  useful 
method  of  instruction  now  that  there  is  a  demand  for 
easy  systems  of  learning  foreign  tongues.1 

Besides  building  a  factory  here  in  England,  Messrs. 
Pathe"  have  established  a  large  business  in  America, 
which  we  understand  is  extremely  prosperous.  M. 
Jacques  Pathe  is  at  the  head  of  affairs  in  London,  and 
is  a  shrewd  and  competent  director.  He  fought  in  the 
war  for  his  country  and  received  high  commendation  for 
his  service.  Although  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  this 
little  book  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  state  that  Pathe 
Freres  are  a  firm  with  very  extensive  interests  in  the 
kinematograph  world.  The  House  of  Pathe,  with  its 
defiant  chanticleer  as  a  trade-mark  has  branches  in 
every  corner  of  the  civilized  globe,  and  its  machines  and 
discs  are  familiar  to  everyone  who  has  the  slightest 
knowledge  of  the  reproduction  of  sound. 

The  Aeolian  Company  of  America  first  came  into 
notice  as  the  manufacturers  of  player-pianos  and 

1  Since  the  above  was  written,  Pathe  Freres  have  brought  out 
a  needle-cut  disc,  the  Actuelle,  which  seems  to  be  doing  fairly 
well. 


THE   BIG   MANUFACTURING   COMPANIES  79 

instruments  of  that  genre.  With  untold  capital  behind 
them  they  forged  ahead  with  remarkable  vigour.  A 
fine  hall,  with  magnificent  show-rooms  and  business 
premises,  was  erected  on  an  advantageous  site  in  New 
York,  and  as  if  by  magic  the  great  corporation  bounded 
into  the  forefront  of  the  musical  manufacturing  world. 
But  this  was  not  achieved  without  deep  thought  and 
careful  planning.  For  a  long  time  there  had  been  active 
brains  at  work,  considering,  devising,  scheming,  and  not 
until  every  action  of  the  future  had  been  thoroughly 
weighed  and  balanced  was  a  move  made.  As  soon  as 
the  company  felt  itself  to  be  on  a  sound  and  solid  basis 
it  mentally  bridged  the  Atlantic  and  set  up  an  English 
house  in  Bond  Street,  London.  The  Aeolian  Hall  on 
this  side,  with  its  high-class  concerts  and  musical  enter- 
tainments, is  now  one  of  the  most  popular  features  of 
the  West  End,  and  the  Aeolian  Orchestra,  a  specially 
selected  body  of  musicians,  is  second  to  none  in  the 
kingdom.  The  spirit  of  enterprise  pervaded  the 
minds  of  all  those  who  were  in  any  way  connected  with 
the  firm,  and  it  was  this  spirit  that  brought  forth  the 
Aeolian- Vocalion,  the  talking  machine  which  is  the 
company's  special  product. 

We  are  told  that,  in  the  late  summer  of  1912,  there 
arrived  in  London  a  Mr.  F.  J.  Empson,  a  resident  of 
Sydney,  Australia.  He  brought  with  him  a  gramophone 
in  which  was  embodied  a  wonderful  patented  device 
for  controlling  musical  effects.  This,  in  the  opinion  of 
its  inventor,  added  so  immeasurably  to  the  musical 
value  and  charm  of  the  instrument  that  he  thought  he 
had  but  to  show  it  to  manufacturers  to  secure  its  immedi- 
ate adoption.  As  has  been  the  fate  of  so  many  geniuses, 
mechanical  and  otherwise,  since  the  world  began,  Mr. 
Empson  found  it  impossible  to  gain  a  satisfactory  audi- 
ence with  those  whom  he  approached.  Discouraged 


80  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

and  depressed  he  purchased  his  passage  home 
and  was  on  the  point  of  sailing,  when  he  accidentally 
encountered  a  friend  to  whom  he  related  his  disap- 
pointing experiences.  This  friend  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  officials  of  the  Aeolian  Company's  London  house, 
and  earnestly  advised  the  poor,  disheartened  inventor  to 
make  one  more  attempt  to  have  his  contrivance  exploited. 
He  told  him  of  the  company  and  directed  him  to  their 
offices. 

With  just  one  faint  ray  of  hope  illuminating  the 
darkness  of  his  mind,  the  inventor  made  his  way  to  Bond 
Street.  For  the  first  time  since  his  arrival  in  England 
the  reception  that  he  met  with  was  satisfactory.  The 
Aeolian  officials  were  so  impressed  with  the  value  of 
the  new  feature  that  they  took  an  option  on  the  patents, 
and  instead  of  returning  to  Australia,  he  and  his  instru- 
ment were  immediately  shipped  across  to  the  head 
offices  of  the  company  in  New  York.  There  the  directors 
and  experts  at  once  grasped  the  possibilities  of  the 
invention.  Without  delay  they  had  the  patents  investi- 
gated, and  on  finding  them  sound  and  inclusive,  closed 
with  the  inventor  on  a  mutually  satisfactory  basis. 
Thus  was  the  Aeolian- Vocalion,  with  its  Graduola 
attachment,  launched  upon  the  world. 

Apart  from  the  advance  made  by  the  company  in  the 
style  of  their  machines  and  the  accuracy  of  reproduction 
of  all  records  submitted  to  the  test  of  the  turntable, 
the  Aeolian-Vocalion  itself  was  voiceless,  which  means 
the  firm  manufactured  no  records  of  their  own.  That 
was  to  be  a  big  consideration  for  the  future.  In  the 
meantime  the  energies  of  the  concern  were  concentrated 
upon  the  Graduola.  This  device  obviated  the  use  of 
different  toned  needles,  the  muting  of  horns,  the  opening 
and  closing  of  shutters,  and  all  the  various  methods 
which  had  been  adopted  of  altering  the  tone  of  the 


THE    BIG   MANUFACTURING   COMPANIES  81 

gramophone  to  suit  the  ear  of  the  listener.  It  gave 
into  the  hands  of  the  operator  a  perfect  means  of  con- 
trolling the  reproduction  of  the  record.  Modulation  of 
the  voice  of  a  singer  could  be  governed  at  the  will  of 
the  gramophone  user,  and  in  that  way  the  listener 
could  guide  to  his  ear  inflexions  and  variations 
which  were  more  agreeable  to  him  than  the  actual 
recording. 

It  may  be  said  that  this  principle  is  altogether  wrong, 
and  that  if  you  choose  to  vary  the  conception  of  the 
vocalist  you  do  not  get  the  true  value  of  the  voice.  This 
is  undoubtedly  quite  right,  but  it  very  often  happens 
that  the  idea  of  the  listener  is  at  variance  with  the  idea 
of  the  singer.  We  know  many  persons  who  have  no 
liking  for  the  forceful  tones  of  Caruso,  but  by  the  use  of 
the  Graduola  these  may  be  so  subdued  that  their  beauty 
can  be  acknowledged  and  appreciated.  The  musical 
instinct  of  the  listener  imperceptibly  directs  him  while 
he  holds  the  little  attachment  in  his  hands. 

The  simple  contrivance  of  Mr.  Empson,  like  many 
other  inventions,  was  merely  the  adaptation  of  a  known 
fact  to  a  new  outlet.  Everybody  knows  that  air  carries 
sound  and  that  if  the  current  be  reversed  the  sound 
becomes  fainter.  Therein  lies  the  secret  of  the  Graduola. 
A  slender,  flexible  tube  connects  the  gramophone  with 
the  operator.  At  the  end  in  the  fingers  of  the  manipu- 
lator is  a  valve  which  he  pushes  in  or  retracts  according 
to  his  personal  desire.  Thus  the  sound  given  forth 
from  the  machine  is  regulated  at  the  will  of  the  performer. 
He,  or  she,  can  therefore  listen  to  the  record  in  the 
manner  desired.  It  is  as  simple  as  A,  B,  C,  but  it  had 
never  been  applied  to  the  talking  machine  before  the 
Aeolian-Vocalion  made  their  arrangement  with  the 
inventor. 

We    have    spoken    of    the    Aeolian-Vocalion    being 


82  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

voiceless,  inasmuch  as  the  company  produced  no  records, 
but  that  deficiency  has,  happily  for  all  gramophone 
enthusiasts,  been  adequately  made  good.  After  more 
than  two  years  of  unremitting  experiment  the  company 
have  placed  upon  the  market  records  which  will  hold 
their  own,  if  not  surpass,  any  that  have  previously 
been  brought  before  the  public.  To  our  knowledge 
they  have  scrapped  thousands  which  they  did  not 
consider  up  to  the  mark,  and  from  their  well  equipped 
factory  at  Hayes,  nothing  but  the  very  best  are  issued. 
They  have  secured  good  artists,  although  the  field  has 
been  somewhat  restricted  in  consequence  of  other 
companies  having  enrolled  the  greatest  of  vocalists 
and  instrumentalists,  yet  they  have  made  a  splendid 
start  and  we  feel  certain  that,  as  time  goes  on,  they  will 
hold  one  of  the  most  exalted  positions  in  the  talking 
machine  world. 

Of  cheap  records  one  of  the  most  popular  of  ah1  is 
the  Winner  of  J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd.,  their  annual 
output  amounting  on  an  average  to  6,000,000,  the 
present  price  being  2s.  6d.  This  go-ahead  concern  has 
now  produced  a  higher  priced  record,  the  Velvet 
Faced  (V.F.)  in  two  sizes,  12  in.  and  10  in.,  at  5s.  6d. 
and  3s.  6d.  These  are  lovely  discs  with  very  little 
scratch. 

The  Zonophone,  which  belongs,  as  we  have  already 
stated,  to  the  Gramophone  Company,  is  a  wonderful 
record  at  3s.,  celebrities  such  as  Sir  Harry  Lauder  and 
a  few  others  being  a  shilling  dearer.  Regal  are  the 
property  of  the  Columbia  Company  and  are  well  worth 
the  2s.  6d.  charged  for  them.  The  Coliseum,  Scala, 
Popular  and  Guardsman  records  are  also  of  the  cheap 
variety. 

Since  writing  of  the  Edison  disc  in  a  previous  chapter 
we  have  heard  that  these  records  are  being  imported 


THE    BIG   MANUFACTURING    COMPANIES  83 

into  this  country  in  quantities  and  that  they  are  much 
better  than  the  first  arrivals.  Let  us  hope  that  this  may 
be  so,  for  those  we  listened  to  when  first  they  made 
their  appearance  were  atrocious.  Edison  has  his 
idolaters — we  are  not  of  them. 

An  important  phase,  worth  mentioning  here,  is  that 
of  the  commercial  phonograph,  the  most  popular  of 
which  is  the  "  Dictaphone,"  manufactured  by  the 
Columbia  Graphophone  Co.,  Ltd.  The  "  Dictaphone  " 
is  a  phonograph  used  by  business  men  for  direct  dicta- 
tion, dispensing  with  the  shorthand  writer,  the  steno- 
grapher transcribing  from  the  cylinder,  which  repeats 
what  has  been  recorded.  It  is  a  modern  time-saving 
device  and  its  success  is  such  that  most  shipping  and 
railway  companies,  banks,  and  large  commercial  houses 
equip  every  department,  some  of  them  having  forty  or 
more  "  Dictaphones "  installed  in  this  way.  This, 
curiously  enough,  is  the  only  form  in  which  the  one-time 
universal  cylinder  record  exists — the  disc  proving 
unwieldy  for  this  purpose. 


7— (1486E) 


CHAPTER  VIII 

ARTISTS   WHO   MAKE   RECORDS 

IN  the  very  early  days  of  the  phonograph  it  was  really 
a  talking  machine,  for  the  first  records  of  the  human 
voice  ever  made  were  of  speaking,  not  of  singing.  The 
congratulatory  speech,  or  rather,  message,  of  Mr. 
Gladstone  to  Edison  on  the  success  of  the  latter's  great 
achievement  was  the  kind  of  thing  which  did  duty  over 
and  over  again.  It  was  unscrupulously  imitated  when 
the  first  cylinders  became  worn  out,  as  they  very  rapidly 
did  in  those  days  before  a  hardening  process  was  invented. 
Other  great  men  were  pressed  into  the  service,  and  in 
quite  recent  years  statesmen  of  the  present  day  have  been 
induced  to  make  speeches  into  the  recording  horn. 

At  first,  however,  it  was  difficult  to  get  singers  of  note 
to  record  their  voices.  Sir  Landon  Ronald,  the  Prin- 
cipal of  the  Guildhall  School  of  Music,  who  was  an  early 
enthusiast  on  behalf  of  the  gramophone,  has  told  in  an 
interview  of  the  trouble  he  had  to  get  over  the  scruples 
of  Ben  Davies,  our  great  English  tenor.  Davies 
laughed  at  the  bare  idea  of  singing  into  a  tin  trumpet, 
but  at  length  Mr.  Ronald,  as  he  then  was,  prevailed 
upon  him  to  make  the  experiment,  and  accompanied 
him  to  the  recording  room  of  the  Gramophone  Company. 
Treating  the  matter  more  as  a  joke  than  anything  else, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  fee  was  a  substantial 
one,  the  brilliant  singer  took  up  his  position  in  front  of 
the  horn  and  gave  forth  to  the  world  at  large  one  of 
his  favourite  ballads.  If  we  mistake  not,  the  song  was 
"  My  Pretty  Jane,"  and  when  the  famous  vocalist 
heard  it  presently  come  back  to  him  through  the  horn 

84 


ARTISTS    WHO    MAKE    RECORDS 


85 


he  was  electrified.  That  was  many  years  ago,  but 
Mr.  Davies,  well  over  sixty  years  of  age,  is  still  making 
records  for  the  talking  machine,  in  fact,  he  is  on  the 
exclusive  list  for  the  Columbia  Company,  and  his 


By  the  courtesy  of  the  Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd. 
MADAME    ADELINA    PATTI 


beautiful  voice,  despite  the  lapse  of  time,  is  as  clear  as 
a  bell. 

The  immortal  diva,  Adelina  Patti,  for  a  long  period 
set  her  lovely  face  dead  against  all  temptations  of  the 
record,  and  it  was  not  until  her  final  retirement  from  the 
operatic  stage  that  she  consented  to  submit  her  marvel- 
lous notes  to  the  judgment  of  posterity.  It  was  in  1905 
that  she  chanced  to  hear  some  remarkable  records  by 
Caruso.  She  was  then  sixty-two  and  living  privately 
with  her  husband  at  Craig-y-Nos,  her  charming  castle 
in  Wales.  Though  she  had  been  frequently  urged  in 


86  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

the  past  to  allow  her  voice  to  be  impressed  upon  a  disc 
she  had  consistently  declined.  The  Caruso  records, 
however,  wrought  a  change  in  her.  Suddenly,  of  her  own 
accord,  §he  sent  to  the  Gramophone  Company  asking  for 
arrangements  to  be  made  to  have  her  voice  recorded. 
The  officials  of  the  company  were  astonished,  for  they 
were  well  aware  of  her  aversion  to  the  talking  machine, 
but  they  at  once  hastened  to  take  advantage  of  her 
change  of  mind,  lest,  with  a  lady's  privilege,  she  might 
change  it  again.  The  highly  skilled  recording  expert 
of  the  firm,  with  assistants  and  musicians  for  the  accom- 
paniments, together  with  all  the  necessary  apparatus 
were  dispatched  to  Wales  without  delay,  and  within  a 
week  several  records  were  secured.  It  was  a  great 
triumph  for  the  company.  Besides  many  of  her  favour- 
ite operatic  airs,  she  placed  upon  the  blanks  such  old 
English,  Scottish,  Irish  and  American  tunes  as  "  Coming 
through  the  Rye  "  ;  "  Home,  Sweet  Home  "  ;  "  Kathleen 
Mavourneen  "  ;  "  The  Last  Rose  of  Summer  "  ;  "  The  Old 
Folks  at  Home  "  ;  "  Robin  Adair  "  and  "  Within  a  mile 
o'  Edinboro'  Town."  The  vibrations  of  the  sound 
waves  of  these  were  imbedded  in  the  wax  and  carried 
off  victoriously  to  London  to  be  transferred  to  the  disc 
composition  in  which  they  will  remain  until  the  crack  of 
doom.  Still,  it  is  only  right  to,  state  that,  as  the  com- 
pany tell  us  in  their  illustrated  catalogue,  the  art  of 
recording  the  human  voice  has  improved  so  rapidly 
since  then  that  these  records  cannot  with  justice  be 
compared  with  records  of  great  artists  which  are  now 
being  issued.  Nevertheless,  they  give  a  remarkably  good 
idea  of  the  richness  and  flexibility  of  Patti's  notes. 

The  earliest  recordings  of  Caruso  were  made  as  far 
back  as  1902,  shortly  after  the  famous  Neapolitan  had  set 
all  Italy  ablaze  with  the  wonder  of  his  singing.  No  sooner 
did  the  news  of  this  epoch-moving  phenomenon  reach 


ARTISTS    WHO    MAKE    RECORDS 


87 


England  than  the  Gramophone  Company  determined 
to  make  a  capture  of  his  voice  at  all  hazards.  Emissaries 
were  appointed  to  proceed  to  Milan,  where  the  new 
tenor  was  then  appearing  at  La  Scala,  and  the  journey 
was  undertaken  in  hot  haste.  These  ambassadors  were 
furnished  with  a  full  equipment  for  recording  the 
voice,  and  were  empowered  to  make  terms  with  the 


By  the  courtesy  of  the 


Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd. 


CARICATURE   OF   CARUSO   MAKING  A   RECORD 
Drawn  by  himself 

great  vocalist  whatever  they  might  be.  It  was  an 
enterprise  which  must  not  be  allowed  to  fail.  They 
found  Caruso  a  most  amiable  and  genial  young  gentle- 
man quite  willing  to  accede  to  their  proposals — for  a 
consideration.  That  consideration  was  by  no  means  a 
small  one,  but  the  emissaries  having  carte  blanche 
everything  was  satisfactorily  arranged,  the  tenor  of 
tenors  entered  into  an  agreement  to  sing  for  no  other 
recording  company,  and  the  agreement  was  most 
faithfully  adhered  to  for  twenty  years.  Caruso's  notes  can 
be  heard  on  no  other  discs  than  those  of  "  His  Master's 


88  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

Voice."  During  the  whole  of  that  long  period  he 
made  no  fewer  than  112  solos  for  the  company,  besides 
taking  part  in  32  duets,  4  trios,  6  quartets,  1  quintet 
and  2  sextets,  157  records  in  all. 

Dame  Nellie  Melba,  the  most  gifted  soprano  of  the 
later  years  of  last  century  and,  as  far  as  they  have  gone, 
of  this,  has  made  a  great  many  delightful  records  for  the 
Gramophone  Company.  It  has  been  complained  by  some 


By  the  courtesy  of  the  Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd 
DAME    NELLIE    MELBA 

that,  in  technical  phrase,  she  does  not  record  well,  which 
means,  of  course,  that  her  voice  is  not  reproduced  with 
that  faithful  adherence  to  the  original  which  is  required. 
That,  we  believe,  to  be  a  defect  which  can  be  easily 
explained.  The  clear,  liquid  limpidity  of  Melba's  notes 
does  not  create  such  a  disturbance  of  sound  waves  as 
those  of  a  more  dramatic  and  impassioned  singer.  The 
consequence  is  that  the  vibrations  are  more  evenly 
marked  upon  the  wax,  which  gives  the  impression  to 
the  listener  of  a  lack  of  force  and  character.  Melba, 


ARTISTS   WHO    MAKE    RECORDS  89 

perhaps,  possesses  the  purest  soprano  of  any  woman  who 
ever  sang.  It  is  absolutely  faultless  in  its  clarity,  but 
by  reason  of  her  nature — she  is  of  Scottish  descent, 
though  born  near  Melbourne,  in  Australia — it  has  not 
the  excessive  warmth  and  brilliancy  of  colour  which- 
belong  to  the  voices  of  the  daughters  of  the  passionate 
lands  bordering  on  the  Mediterranean.  Detached 
from  the  glamour  which  inevitably  surrounds  the 
stage  Melba's  notes  sound  a  trifle  cold,  and  hence  to  the 
ordinary  person  who  listens  to  her  records  comes  that 
slight  feeling  of  disappointment. 

There  is  not  a  musician  or  singer  who  has  attained  any 
celebrity  whose  voice  or  playing  is  not  more  familiar 
to  the  gramophone  enthusiast  of  to-day  than  it  is  to 
the  wealthiest  music-lover  in  the  world  who  is  without 
a  talking  machine.  The  gramophone  user  can  always 
have  his  records  beside  him  to  listen  to  when  he  is  in  the 
mood.  We  have  only  mentioned  the  names  of  a  few 
of  the  great  singers  whose  voices  have  been  recorded, 
but  we  can  safely  say  that  there  is  not  one  living  vocal 
artist  of  note  whose  musical  tones  have  not  been 
enshrined  within  a  disc. 

The  Columbia  Company  have  their  own  treasures  in 
music.  Dame  Clara  Butt  is  one  of  them,  now  recording 
only  for  Columbia.  Stracciari,  the  great  baritone, 
Barrientos,  Stralia,  Ponselle,  the  famous  sopranos,  are 
others.  Among  instrumentalists  there  are  such  honoured 
names  as  Pachmann  and  Busoni,  pianists  of  the  highest 
order,  Ysaye,  the  veteran  violinist,  and  Casals,  indu- 
bitably the  world's  greatest  'cellist.  Further,  music 
lovers  are  indebted  to  Columbia  for  introducing  chamber 
music,  through  the  medium  of  the  London  String 
Quartet,  on  the  gramophone. 

But  one  of  the  greatest  Columbia  achievements  is  in 
connection  with  orchestral  works.  They  persuaded 


90  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

Sir  Henry  J.  Wood  to  recant  his  previous  objections  to 
recording,  and  with  his  aid  began  to  develop  the  inter- 
pretative side.  Then  followed  Sir  Thomas  Beecham, 
Mr.  Albert  Coates  with  the  London  Symphony  Orchestra, 
.and  Mr.  Hamilton  Harty  with  the  Halle  Orchestra. 
These  famous  conductors  have  given  us  through 
Columbia  new  orchestral  classics,  including  such  works 
as  "  Scheherazade,"  "  Le  Chasseur  Maudit "  (The 
Accursed  Hunter),  Scriabin's  "  Poem  of  Ecstasy," 
"  Siegfried  Idyll,"  thus  creating  a  new  and  higher 
standard  in  orchestral  music  alone.  This,  in  itself,  has 
gone  far  to  secure  recognition  for  the  gramophone 
among  scoffers  and  sceptics. 

If  we  were  to  give  a  list  of  all  the  "  stars  of 
the  record  world,"  however,  which  scintillate  for  the 
various  manufacturers,  we  would  require  more  pages  of 
our  handbook  than  time  and  space  can  afford.  It  would 
be  well,  nevertheless,  to  draw  attention  to  the  fact  that 
records  have  been  made  by  others  than  musicians.  We 
have  spoken  elsewhere  of  Mr.  Gladstone  having  made  a 
record.  He  was  the  first  of  statesmen  to  submit  his 
voice  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  recording  needle,  but 
in  the  long  ago  such  performances  were  not  too  successful. 
Of  late  years,  however,  with  all  the  new  inventions,  both 
in  recording  and  in  reproduction,  the  speech  of  a  minister 
can  be  listened  to  with  quite  as  much  attention  as  if  it 
were  delivered  in  a  hall.  Mr.  Asquith,  Earl  Balfour 
and  Mr.  Lloyd  George  have  each  made  records,  and  we 
rather  think  Mr.  Winston  Churchill  may  be  added  to  the 
list.  Elocutionary  efforts  by  popular  actors  have  also 
been  a  feature  of  the  gramophone.  The  talking  record, 
as  it  is  called,  is  by  no  means  a  rarity.  The  late  Sir 
H.  Beerbohm  Tree  made  a  few,  and  we  remember  an 
exceptionally  funny  one  by  that  clever  entertainer,  now 
dead,  Snazelle.  Bransby  Williams  has  recorded  most  of 


ARTISTS   WHO   MAKE   RECORDS  91 

his  recitations  and  sketches,  and  there  are  many 
others. 

Of  actresses,  as  we  think  we  have  elsewhere  men- 
tioned, Sara  Bernhardt  has  had  her  beautiful  tones 
immortalized  in  shellac,  but  the  ladies  of  the  dramatic 
stage  generally  do  not  seem  to  take  so  kindly  to  the 
recording  horn  as  their  sisters  of  the  lyric  or  operatic. 
The  best  that  we  have  heard  is  a  powerful  recitation  by 
Constance  Collier,  "  The  Hell-gate  of  Soissons  "  ;  but 
what  a  glorious  treat  it  would  be  if  somebody  could 
persuade  Miss  Ellen  Terry,  while  she  is  still  in  possession 
of  all  the  beauty  of  her  remarkable  speaking  voice,  to 
make  a  record  of  her  wonderful  delivery  of  Portia's 
speech  in  the  "  Merchant  of  Venice."  Posterity  would 
thank  her  for  it. 

The  big  manufacturing  companies  have  given  us  the 
music  of  complete  operas,  so  that  a  whole  party  can  sit 
down  in  a  drawing-room  and  listen  to  "II  Trovatore  " 
or  "  Faust  "  or  "Lohengrin  "  from  beginning  to  end 
with  as  much  pleasure  as  if  they  were  seated  in  a  stall 
at  the  opera.  The  Pathe  Company  has  even  done  better 
than  that,  for  it  has  recorded  Moliere's  comedy  of  the 
"  Malade  Imaginaire  "  almost  without  a  cut,  and  there 
is  no  reason  why  we  should  not  have  a  Shakesperian  play 
presented  to  us  in  the  same  way.  At  the  present  time 
the  Gramophone  Company  are  bringing  out  the  whole 
series  of  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  operas  one  by  one,  with 
fine  casts.  "The  Mikado,"  "The  Gondoliers,"  and 
"  The  Pirates  of  Penzance  "  have  already  been  issued, 
and  the  others  will  follow  in  due  course.  The  Columbia 
Company  have  sent  their  recording  staff  to  Milan  on 
separate  occasions  to  secure  complete  performances  of 
"  Carmen,"  "  Rigoletto  "  and  "  Aiida,"  as  performed 
by  the  company  of  the  famous  La  Scala  Theatre. 
Such  enterprises  as  these  cost  huge  sums,  but  no  amount 


92  THE    TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

is  begrudged  when  an  exact  reproduction  is  to  be 
obtained.  Similarly,  successful  London  musical  plays 
are  recorded  by  the  original  theatre  artists  for  home 
enjoyment,  and  these  have  a  great  vogue. 

Experiments  have  been  made  in  getting  the  notes  of 
singing  birds,  but  these  have  not  been  altogether  success- 
ful, because  you  cannot  get  a  bird  to  sing  to  order.  You 
may  catch  a  portion  of  his  song  fitfully,  but  you  cannot 
be  sure  of  him.  Some  years  ago  there  was  a  fuss  made  of 
a  certain  American,  Professor  Garner,  who  was  to  go 
out  to  Central  Africa  with  recording  apparatus,  live  in 
a  cage  in  the  tropical  forest  and  record  the  language 
of  apes.  Whether  the  expedition  was  successful 
or  not  we  cannot  say.  But,  if  the  monkey  tongue, 
supposing  it  should  exist,  has  not  been  recorded, 
almost  every  spoken  language  on  the  face  of  the  earth 
has.  The  recording  expert  travels  far,  and,  though  his 
baggage  is  not  quite  so  light  as  that  of  the  photographer, 
he  has  succeeded  in  making  valuable  additions  to 
philological  and  ethnological  science.  In  this  direction 
there  is  a  vast  field  still  open  for  scientific  inquiry,  and 
if  some  of  the  learned  societies  could  find  the  money  to 
prosecute  research  in  remote  lands  and  among  little 
known  peoples,  the  results  would  be  most  interesting. 
By  language  we  might  be  able  to  trace  the  origins  of 
races. 

The  Japanese  do  quite  an  extensive  trade  with  China 
by  making  Chinese  records,  and  we  believe  Mr.  Russell 
Hunting  contrived  to  secure  many  excellent  discs  of  the 
queer  agglutinate  tongue  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Flowery  Land  during  a  brief  sojourn  there.  The 
enterprising  Japs  are  piercing  into  India,  too,  where  they 
are  making  records  of  the  various  dialects,  thereby 
casting  a  reflection  upon  our  British  industrial  methods. 
There  is  wealth  among  the  Hindus  as  well  as  poverty, 


ARTISTS   WHO    MAKE    RECORDS  93 

and  doubtless  a  considerable  trade  might  be  tapped  by 
selling  machines  with  native  records. 

There  is  not  a  musical  instrument  which  has  not  been 
brought  under  subjection  by  the  recorder.  Of  late  the 
Hawaiian  ukalele,  a  species  of  guitar,  said  to  have  been 
introduced  to  the  islands  of  the  Pacific  by  the  early 
Spanish  missionaries,  and  adapted  by  the  natives  to 
their  own  requirements  in  the  way  of  music,  has  become 
quite  a  cult  among  gramophone  users.  It  emits  a 
peculiar  plaintive  sound  by  sliding  the  finger  up  and  down 
the  strings  while  the  right  hand  twangs  an  accompani- 
ment. Many  of  the  best  native  performers  have  been 
in  this  country  and  made  records,  and  the  voices  are 
strangely  sweet.  Several  were  engaged  in  a  successful 
piece  at  the  Prince  of  Wales's  Theatre  entitled  "  The 
Bird  of  Paradise,"  where  their  songs  and  playing  attracted 
much  attention. 

Since  the  war  dancing  has  become,  one  might  say, 
our  most  popular  pastime,  and  the  talking  machine 
provides  a  ready  means  for  supplying  the  music.  On 
this  account  there  has  been  a  huge  output  of  dance 
records,  the  abominable  jazz  taking  the  lead  for  a  long 
time.  Thank  goodness  this  nuisance  is  being  somewhat 
abated.  There  were  records  made  from  bands  and 
orchestras  which  played  nothing  but  this  hideous 
importation  from  America,  and  all  of  them  were  faith- 
fully reproduced  on  discs.  The  poor  reviewers  of  the 
trade  organs  were  absolutely  deafened  by  them. 

Before  closing  this  chapter  on  record  makers,  it  may  not 
be  out  of  place  to  mention  a  record  which  was  made  by 
an  army  and  all  its  guns.  The  late  Mr.  Gaisberg  of  the 
Gramophone  Company  was  permitted  by  the  military 
authorities  to  approach  within  the  lines  during  the  bom- 
bardment of  Lille  for  the  purpose  of  recording  the  din 
of  war.  The  result,  however,  was  rather  disappointing. 


CHAPTER  IX 

GRAMOPHONE   ASSOCIATIONS   AND   SOCIETIES 

FROM  the  earliest  days  of  talking  machine  manufacture 
and  distribution  in  this  country  the  friendly  rivalry 
(a  notable  feature  of  most  new  industries)  existing 
between  the  various  houses  engaged  in  the  trade  was 
not  conducive  to  the  formation  of  a  Trade  Association. 
At  social  and  other  gatherings  of  the  industry  it  was 
talked  of,  but  there  appeared  to  be  no  urgent  necessity 
for  it  in  those  days,  so  no  definite  action  was  taken.  The 
common  trials  and  tribulations  of  the  war  period,  how- 
ever, brought  the  talking  machine  manufacturers  and 
traders  more  closely  together  and  emphasized  the  need 
for  concerted  action. 

The  difficulties  of  the  trade  in  the  years  of  war  were 
immense.  For  a  considerable  period  the  gramophone 
was  regarded  by  a  certain  section  of  the  Government  as 
a  luxury,  and  it  required  the  most  strenuous  exertions 
on  the  part  of  some  of  the  leaders  in  the  business  to 
prevent  the  industry  being  relegated  into  the  sorely 
tried  position  of  a  "  luxury  trade."  For  a  time  all 
effort  seemed  hopeless  and  the  trade  appeared  to  be 
doomed.  Just  then,  however,  when  things  were 
darkest,  energetic  action  was  taken  by  the  British  Music 
Trades  Industry  Committee,  an  emergency  war-time 
organization,  in  the  formation  and  conduct  of  which 
prominent  members  of  the  talking  machine  industry 
took  part,  notably  Mr.  M.  E.  Ricketts  (then  of  the 
Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd.),  who  acted  as  Honorary  Secre- 
tary throughout  its  existence  and  did  yeoman  service. 
As  a  result  of  this  collective  representation  the  trade  was 

94 


GRAMOPHONE   ASSOCIATIONS    AND    SOCIETIES          95 

undoubtedly  saved  and  adequate  supplies  of  materials 
assured. 

When  one  looks  back  upon  the  active  part  that  the 
gramophone  played  in  bringing  comfort  and  joy  to  the 
boys  who  were  at  the  front,  it  is  almost  inconceivable 
that  the  Government  should  have  adopted  the  attitude 
it  did.  However,  that  is  all  past  and  gone,  but  we  must 
rot  forget  the  men  who  upheld  the  rights  of  the  trade 
that  supplied  the  music  which  encouraged  our  devoted 
lads. 

It  was  apparent  from  the  outset  of  the  struggle  to 
obtain  recognition  of  the  talking  machine  as  a  powerful, 
and  indeed  vital,  force  for  the  good  of  the  nation  and  its 
preservers  that  the  music  trade  was  inefficiently 
organized,  and  the  long  talked  of  Association  of  Gramo- 
phone Manufacturers  and  Dealers  took  shape  in  the 
minds  of  the  leaders  of  the  industry.  In  the  negotia- 
tions between  the  British  Music  Trades  Industry  Com- 
mittee and  the  Government  on  the  question  of  supplies 
of  material  it  was  found  that  the  musical  instrument 
(small  goods)  makers  had  many  interests  in  common 
with  those  of  the  talking  machine  trade.  Consequently 
in  the  early  months  of  the  year  1918  Mr.  M.  E. 
Ricketts,  Mr.  Frank  Samuel  (Barnett,  Samuel  &  Sons, 
Ltd.)  and  Mr.  Walter  B.  Beare  (Beare  &  Son)  all  young, 
vigorous  men  in  the  trade,  called  together  a  historic 
meeting  at  the  Midland  Grand  Hotel,  St.  Pancras 
(then  the  headquarters  of  music  trade  activities). 
Representatives  of  leading  houses  in  the  talking  machine 
and  musical  instrument  (small  goods)  trades  were 
invited  and  all  attended.  The  proposed  association  met 
with  spontaneous  and  unanimous  approval,  and  the 
difficulty  of  securing  a  suitable  and  energetic  organizer 
was  overcome  when  Mr.  Chas.  E.  Timms,  also  a  young 
and  active  man  with  a  life-long  experience  of  the 


96  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

musical    instrument    trade,    undertook    the    duties    of 
Secretary. 

In  addition  to  those  already  named  as  promoters  of 
the  preliminary  arrangements  for  the  formation  of  the 
Association,  there  were  several  other  gentlemen  well 
known  in  the  trade.  Of  these  we  may  mention  Mr. 
H.  J.  Cullum  (Messrs.  Lockwoods  &  Perophone,  Ltd.)  ; 
Mr.  M.  F.  Cooksey  (J.  Thibouville-Lamy  &  Co.)  ; 
Mr.  J.  E.  Hough  (J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd.)  ;  Mr.  W.  Manson 
(The  Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd.)  ;  Mr.  Geo.  Murdoch  (The 
Murdoch  Trading  Co.)  ;  Mr.  A.  J.  Stavridi  (Craies  & 
Stavridi)  ;  Mr.  Louis  Sterling  and  Mr.  J.  Van  Allen 
Shields  (Columbia  Graphophone  Co.,  Ltd.)  ;  Mr.  Robert 
Willis  (British  Polyphon  Co.),  and  Mr.  E.  C.  Paskell 
(Colmore  Depot,  Birmingham). 

A  draft  constitution  and  rules  were  quickly  evolved 
and  approved  ;  an  anticipated  first  season's  membership 
of  about  fifty  houses  was,  by  energetic  application, 
amplified  into  an  actual  original  associate  roll  of  118 
houses,  and  on  Tuesday,  25th  June,  1918,  The 
Association  of  Gramophone  and  Musical  Instrument 
Manufacturers  and  Wholesale  Dealers  became  an 
accomplished  fact.  The  somewhat  unwieldy  nomen- 
clature came  in  for  careful  consideration  and  criticism, 
but  it  was  finally  decided  that  the  wide  interests  of  the 
society  could  not  be  covered  under  a  more  curtailed 
title.  Of  the  founders  of  the  Association,  Mr.  M.  E. 
Ricketts  was  at  the  first  general  meeting  unanimously 
elected  as  President,  with  Mr.  Frank  Samuel,  Vice- 
President  ;  Mr.  W.  B.  Beare,  Hon.  Treasurer,  and  Mr. 
C.  E.  Timms,  Secretary.  The  Council  of  the  Association 
is  comprehensive  and  embraces  every  branch  of  the 
industry.  At  date  (1921)  it  comprises — 
Mr.  W.  B.  Beare  (Beare  &  Son). 
Mr.  D.  J.  Blaikley  (Boosey  &  Co.). 


GRAMOPHONE    ASSOCIATIONS   AND    SOCIETIES         97 

Mr.  M.  F.  Cooksey  (J.  Thibouville-Lamy  &  Co.). 

Mr.  H.  J.  Cullum,  M.B.E.  (Perophone,  Ltd.). 

Mr.  Herbert  W.  Dawkins  (Thos.  Dawkins  &  Co., 
Ltd.). 

Mr.  Geoffrey  Hawkes  (Hawkes  &  Son). 

Mr.  J.  E.  Hough  (J.  E.  Hough,  Ltd.). 

Mr.  A.  G.  Houghton  (Houghton  &  Sons,  Birming- 
ham). 

Mr.  W.  Manson  (The  Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd.) 

Mr.  A.  J.  Mason  (Aeolian  Co.,  Ltd.). 

Mr.  Geo.  Murdoch  (Murdoch  Trading  Co.). 

Mr.  E.  C.  Paskell  (Colmore  Depot,  Birmingham). 

Mr.  Frank  Samuel  (Barnett,  Samuel  &  Sons,  Ltd.). 

Mr.   Louis   Sterling   (Columbia   Graphophone   Co., 
Ltd.). 

The  Constitution  of  the  Association  provides  that 
there  shall  be  elected  annually  a  President  and  a  Vice- 
President  (each  alternately  from  the  Gramophone  and 
Musical  Instrument  Industries),  a  Treasurer  and  a 
Council  which  shall  consist  of  the  officers  and  eleven 
members  of  the  Association,  six  representing  the 
Gramophone  Trade  and  five  the  Musical  Instrument 
Trade.  Provision  is  also  made  for  the  formation  of 
sub-committees  representing  :  (1)  The  manufacturers  of 
gramophones  and/or  their  accessories.  (2)  The  manu- 
facturers of  gramophone  records.  (3)  Gramophone 
wholesale  dealers.  (4)  The  manufacturers  of  musical 
instruments  and/or  their  accessories.  (5)  Musical 
instrument  wholesale  dealers.  To  these  would  be 
added  by  consent  of  the  Council  other  sub -committees 
should  occasion  arise. 

Membership  is  open  to  any  bona  fide  British  company, 
firm  or  person  engaged  in  the  trades  concerned  and 
carrying  on  business  within  Great  Britain  and  Ireland, 
subject  to  election  by  the  Council. 


y»  THE    TALKING   MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

The  objects  of  the  Association  are  :  "  To  promote, 
protect  and  secure  the  varied  interests  of  manufacturers 
of,  and  wholesale  dealers  in,  Gramophones,  Musical 
Instruments  and  their  Accessories,  and  to  use  every 
endeavour  to  obtain  fair  conditions  and  whole-hearted 
support  for  British  Manufacturers  and  Wholesale 
Dealers."  That  these  aims  have  been  adequately 
fulfilled  during  the  first  three  years  of  the  Association's 
existence  is  shown  by  a  resume  of  the  more  important 
questions  dealt  with  by  the  Council  in  that  period  on 
behalf  of  the  members.  Taking  a  cursory  glance  through 
these  we  find  prominently — 

Safeguarding  of  supplies  of  materials  in  the  post  war 
period. 

Propaganda  calling  the  attention  of  the  whole  of 
the  Music  Trade  of  this  country  to  the  menace  of  the 
proposed  Luxury  Tax  and  action  to  avert  same. 

Employment  of  Disabled  Soldiers  and  Sailors  in 
the  Industry. 

Railway  Rates  and  Conditions. 
Import  Duty. 
Merchandise   Marks   Act. 
Excess  Profits  Duty. 

Organization  of,  and  support  for,  the  Federation 
of  British  Music  Industries. 

Music  Trades  Joint  Industrial  Council. 
British     Music     Industries'     Scientific     Research 
Association. 

Fraudulent    Advertising    of    Gramophones,    etc. 
Monthly    Publication    of    Imports    and    Exports 
Statistics. 

Customs  Drawback  on  Re-exportation. 
Imports  from  Germany. 
Trade  Conditions  in  Germany. 
Music  Trades  School. 


GRAMOPHONE   ASSOCIATIONS   AND    SOCIETIES          99 

British  Industries  Fair. 

British  Music  Convention. 

Net  Sales  Certificates  Trade  Press. 

The  work  of  the  Association  is  recorded  in  the  trade 
Press  and  also  in  an  "  Association  Newsletter  "  which  is 
circulated  to  all  members  periodically. 

It  is  agreeable  to  state  that  the  success  of  the  Associa- 
tion is  attributable  to  the  indefatigable  zeal  and  atten- 
tion of  the  clever  Secretary,  Mr.  Chas.  E.  Timms,  and  it 
is  certain  that  no  Association  or  body  of  men  banded 
together  with  a  common  object  can  be  really  successful 
unless  there  is  one  man  with  the  driving  power  and  the 
will  and  energy  to  devote  to  it. 

No  sooner  had  the  manufacturers  and  wholesale 
traders  set  their  Association  going  on  a  solid  basis  than 
the  retail  dealers  began  to  think  about  organizing.  For 
some  time  there  had  been  formed  in  the  provinces 
various  District  Associations,  but  there  was  no  central 
combinations  and  these  scattered  organizations  had  no 
coherency.  Before  the  new  plant  took  root  much 
spade  work  was  accomplished  by  Mr.  S.  N.  Shand,  of 
Stratford,  London,  who  spared  no  labour  on  the  scheme 
he  had  taken  in  hand.  In  an  unobtrusive  fashion  he 
was  well  backed  up  by  Mr.  Robert  Poulter,  the  manager 
of  The  Talking  Machine  News,  the  oldest  and  best 
gramophone  trade  organ  in  the  world,  who  had  also 
lent  an  untiring  hand  in  the  formation  of  the  Gramo- 
phone and  Musical  Instrument  and  Wholesale  Dealers 
Association.  Eventually  the  new  idea  took  shape  and 
a  first  meeting  was  called  for  22nd  September,  1920. 
The  attendance  was  most  encouraging.  Officers  were 
then  and  there  elected,  Mr.  Rasin  Jones,  of  Manchester, 
being  appointed  President  for  the  first  year,  with  Mr. 
E.  Marshall  as  Vice-President.  The  members  of 
Committee  were  Messrs.  Gerald  Forty,  S.  E.  Moon, 

8—  (1466E) 


100  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

C.  J.  Price,  J.  H.  Riley  and  F.  E.  Stokes,  while  Mr. 
S.  N.  Shand  was  unanimously  elected  Hon.  Secretary. 

The  first  business,  after  the  election  of  office-bearers, 
was  to  deal  with  the  establishment  of  branches  through- 
out the  kingdom  and  the  affiliation  of  existing  organiza- 
tions The  members  present  were  most  enthusiastic, 
and  resolved  upon  adopting  a  personal  campaign  in 
their  several  districts  for  the  purpose  of  augmenting 
membership.  The  nominal  subscription  was  fixed  at 
21s.,  to  be  sent  to  Mr.  S.  N.  Shand,  150  The  Grove, 
Stratford,  London,  E.15. 

The  Association  being  so  young  we  have  not  sufficient 
data  to  go  upon  to  record  its  progress,  but  we  understand 
that  it  is  already  in  a  very  flourishing  condition,  and 
that  many  matters  of  great  importance  to  the  retail 
trade  are  being  investigated  and  will  ultimately  be 
decided  upon. 

The  Federation  of  British  Music  Industries  does  not 
exactly  come  within  our  province  to  dilate  upon,  but  it 
is  well  to  observe  that  the  gramophone  industry  is 
strongly  represented  therein,  and  that  at  all  the  con- 
ventions and  meetings  the  talking  machine  interests  are 
carefully  looked  after.  With  such  a  Chairman  as  Mr. 
Alexander  Dow,  whose  knowledge  and  experience  of 
every  branch  of  the  musical  profession  and  trade  is 
unequalled,  the  Federation  has  a  man  at  its  head  of 
unique  personality,  embodying  both  culture  and  charm.1 
The  work  of  the  Federation  is  educational  and  propa- 
gandist, and  every  British  musician  of  note  has  identified 
himself  with  its  objects.  It  wields  a  powerful  influence 
over  musical  art  in  many  directions,  and  this  influence 
is  beginning  to  make  itself  manifest  in  the  keener 

1  Since  this  was  written  Mr.  Louis  Sterling,  of  the  Columbia 
Gramophone  Company,  has  succeeded  Mr.  Dow  for  a  year.  A 
big  feather  in  the  cap  of  the  Talking  Machine  Industry. 


GRAMOPHONE   ASSOCIATIONS   AND   SOCIETIES        101 

interest  which  is  being  taken  in  music  by  the  nation  at 
large. 

Some  years  ago  it  was  felt  by  talking  machine  enthusi- 
asts that  the  instrument  was  not  sufficiently  known  and 
understood.  Societies  were,  therefore,  inaugurated  with 
the  intention  of  inducing  the  public  to  form  a  deeper 
estimation  of  the  invention.  At-  that  time,  it  must  be 
recollected,  prejudice  against  what  was  derisively  called 
"  canned  "  music  ran  exceedingly  high,  and  it  was  not 
altogether  without  reason,  for  some  of  the  cheaper 
records  and  machines  were  atrociously  bad  (a  few  of 
them  are  so  still,  as  anyone  can  find  out  for  himself  if  he 
will  take  the  trouble  to  walk  through  a  poorer  class 
neighbourhood  of  an  evening).  But  these  were  not  the 
instruments  nor  records  which  the  societies  were  experi- 
menting with.  They  were  going  in  for  better  things  and 
were  wishful  to  demonstrate  the  finest  that  had  been 
manufactured. 

We  are  under  the  impression  that  the  North  London 
Gramophone  and  Phonograph  Society  was  the  first  to 
be  established,  with  that  ardent  and  learned  experi- 
menter, Henry  Seymour,  as  President.  We  may  be 
wrong,  but  our  researches  have  not  given  us  an  earlier 
one.  The  long-continued  feud  between  cylinder  and 
disc  adherents  is  nowhere  so  rancorous  as  among  the 
members  of  the  societies.  Edison  is  worshipped 
as  a  super-man  by  certain  communities,  while  the  follow- 
ers of  the  needle-cut  disc  will  have  none  of  him.  Of  one 
thing,  however,  there  can  be  little  doubt,  the  gramophone 
people  triumph  over  their  opponents  most  mightily  in 
the  matter  of  artists.  A  gramophone  society  can  put 
up  a  concert  with  all  the  picked  voices  of  the  world 
upon  the  programme,  whereas  the  phonograph  admirers 
have  to  be  content  with  only  those  American  performers 
who  are  not  in  the  front  rank  of  opera  or  platform.  The 


102  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

phonograph  supporters  also  labour  under  another 
disability.  The  whole  of  their  records,  cylinder  or  disc, 
have  to  come  across  from  America,  for  they  scorn 
every  other  make  save  that  of  the  Great  Panjandrum 
himself. 

Throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  these 
societies  are  springing  up,  not  only  in  the  big  towns, 
but  in  what  our  theatrical  friends  call  "  the  smalls," 
and  even  in  villages.  The  meetings  are  generally  held 
once  a  month,  when  all  the  most  recent  issues  from  the 
record  manufacturers  are  listened  to  and  their  merits 
discussed.  New  sound  boxes,  needles  and  other 
accessories  are  also  tried  over  and  pronounced  upon. 
In  short,  the  societies  are  composed  of  enthusiasts  who 
allow  nothing  that  is  fresh  to  escape  them.  Many  of 
the  members  are  themselves  inventors,  who,  by  their 
connection  with  the  societies,  get  their  inventions  tested. 
Whether  this  is  an  advantage  or  not  is  somewhat 
doubtful,  for  the  doings  are  reported  in  the  trade 
Press,  and  the  publicity  thus  obtained  may  not  always 
be  for  the  benefit  of  the  inventor.  However,  there  can 
be  no  denying  that  the  societies  are  doing  a  vast  amount 
of  good  to  the  industry  by  their  propaganda  work,  and 
we  should  be  the  very  last  to  cavil  at  the  spirit  with 
which  the  members  are  imbued. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE   TALKING   MACHINE   AS   TEACHER 

No  less  important  authority  than  Sir  Edward  Elgar, 
O.M.,  has  predicted  for  the  gramophone  a  great  future 
as  an  instructor  of  youth  in  music.  We  have  already 
seen  how  it  is  thus  employed  in  America,  but  we  lag 
slowly  behind.  The  ingrained  conservatism  of  the 
Briton  restrains  him  from  advance.  He  hesitates  and 
boggles  at  an  innovation,  whereas  the  more  acute 
American  grasps  the  situation  and  with  far-seeing 
intelligence  adapts  it  to  his  needs.  The  old  and  deeply 
rooted  prejudice  against  the  talking  machine  still 
obtains  in  the  official  mind,  and  however  strong  may  be 
the  efforts  of  the  more  liberal  spirits,  the  educational 
authorities  in  many  directions  block  the  way. 

In  spite  of  the  opposition,  however,  there  is  a  move- 
ment going  on  which  may  ultimately  triumph  over  all 
obstacles  and  place  our  country  on  the  same  level  that 
our  friends  across  the  Atlantic  have  gained.  Canada  has 
awakened  to  a  sense  of  the  educational  advantages 
which  can  be  reaped  by  a  practical  use  of  the  talking 
machine  as  teacher,  and  is  introducing  it  into  many 
schools  of  the  Dominion.  The  governing  bodies  there, 
being  in  closer  proximity  to  the  United  States,  have 
viewed  with  observant  eyes'  the  benefits  derived  from  the 
employment  of  the  gramophone  as  a  training  factor 
among  the  children,  with  the  result  that,  unless  we 
actively  bestir  ourselves,  the  motherland  will  find  herself 
outstripped  in  musical  knowledge  by  her  own  offspring. 
This  is  lamentable,  but  it  is  perfectly  true,  and  we  have 
nothing  to  blame  but  the  obduracy  of  our  officialdom. 

103 


104  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

Sir  Edward  Elgar  has  urged  upon  those  having  charge 
of  the  young,  and  Mr.  Percy  A.  Scholes  has  written  in 
a  booklet  published  by  the  Gramophone  Company, 
addressed  to  teachers,  the  duty  of  instruction  in  that 
very  important  point,  Learning  to  Listen.  It  is  the 
title  of  Mr.  Scholes's  brochure,  and  in  the  introduction, 
Dr.  John  Adams,  Professor  of  Education  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  London,  dwells  upon  the  importance  of  music 
in  any  scheme  of  education.  Appreciation  is  the  first 
principle  in  the  knowledge  of  music,  and  the  talking 
machine  is  the  only  instrument  through  which  apprecia- 
tion can  be  instilled  into  the  mind,  for  it  is  the  only 
instrument  that  can  play  all  music.  In  his  preface  Mr. 
Scholes  quotes  Dr.  Eliot,  of  Harvard,  to  the  effect  that 
the  true  understanding  of  music  is  "  one  of  the  best 
means  of  developing  the  human  child,  of  drawing  out 
its  latent  powers,  and  cultivating  the  human  spirit." 
Hitherto,  according  to  Mr.  Scholes,  musical  education  has 
been  limited  to  making  the  child  acquainted  with  only 
such  music  as  it  can  perform  itself  or  as  on  rare  occasions 
can  be  performed  for  it.  The  talking  machine  has 
changed  all  that. 

The  other  day  Sir  Edward  Elgar  said  that  he  looked 
forward  to  the  time  when  no  school  would  be  deemed 
complete  without  its  proper  number  of  gramophones. 
Surely  Sir  Edward's  dictum  should  have  some  weight 
with  county  councils,  for,  besides  being  our  greatest 
living  British  composer,  he  has  given  much  time  and 
thought  to  the  subject  of  education. 

Among  other  things  of  much  interest  in  the  little 
book  by  Mr.  Scholes  are  several  programmes  of  music 
which  can  all  be  played  to  a  class  on  a  gramophone. 
There  are  parts  of  the  country,  too,  where  no  concerts 
in  the  ordinary  sense  can  be  heard  either  by  children 
or  adults,  and  for  such  districts  the  various  lists  of  the 


THE    TALKING   MACHINE    AS   TEACHER  105 

works  of  great  composers  which  he  gives  are  useful  in 
showing  how  appreciation  can  gradually  be  acquired 
by  the  use  of  a  good  machine  and  high-class  records. 

It  is  this  learning  to  appreciate  the  best  of  music,  not 
mere  technical  ability  to  play  a  piano,  a  violin  or  any 
other  manipulatory  instrument,  that  cultivates  the  mind, 
and  Sir  Edward  Elgar  is  quite  in  agreement  with  this. 
Of  course,  there  must  be  work  as  well  if  the  child  is  to 
become  an  instrumentalist,  but  such  work  will  be  much 
more  easy  if  the  basis  has  been  laid  by  the  talking 
machine.  In  a  letter  to  Lord  North cliffe,  Paderewski, 
the  renowned  pianist,  wrote  :  "  Education  by  good 
music  is  essential  to  the  mind  development  of  children 
in  every  country,  and  I  should  like  to  see  a  gramophone 
and  a  good  selection  of  '  His  Master's  Voice '  records 
in  every  school." 

And  now,  having  mentioned  "  His  Master's  Voice  "  in 
this  connection,  we  must  congratulate  the  Gramophone 
Company  upon  the  very  active  steps  the  great  firm  is 
taking  in  promoting  this  form  of  musical  education .  The 
propaganda  initiated  by  them,  growing  stronger  every 
day,  is  bound  to  have  a  marked  influence  upon  the 
community  at  large.  By  literature  of  an  easily  grasped 
character,  by  lectures,  not  too  technical,  and  by  the  issue 
of  a  graduated  series  of  records  the  company  is  fighting 
their  way  through  all  opposition.  They  have  constructed 
a  strong-built  machine  for  use  in  schools,  which  is  sold 
at  the  not  too  exorbitant  price  of  £25,  and  they  assist 
in  every  way  the  teachers  who  have  to  demonstrate  to 
the  little  learners  the  truths  and  beauties  of  the  art 
which  is  being  unfolded  to  them. 

Beyond  the  point  of  imparting  a  taste  for  good 
music  it  is  impossible  for  the  gramophone  to  go.  It 
simply  takes  the  place  of  the  singer,  the  instrumentalist 
and  the  orchestra,  but  we  must  remember  how  few 


106  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

children  are  in  a  position  to  hear  the  best  of  these 
except  through  the  talking  machine.  It  is  amazingly 
democratic.  At  a  comparatively  small  cost  the  off- 
spring of  the  poor  can  obtain  as  much  pleasure  in  music 


OPEN 


CLOSED 


By  the  courtesy  of  the  Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd. 

"HIS  MASTER'S  VOICE"  GRAMOPHONE  FOR  SCHOOLS 

as  the  heirs  and  heiresses  of  the  rich,  but  that  pleasure 
can  only  come  through  a  course  of  instruction,  unless 
the  child  be  abnormally  gifted.  In  the  old  days  opera 
was  a  sealed  book  to  most  of  the  people,  because  of  the 
prices  charged,  and  in  consequence  the  masses  never 
acquired  a  taste  for  it.  A  few  of  the  old  airs  from 
"  Maritana  "  or  the  "  Bohemian  Girl  "  was  all  that 


THE   TALKING   MACHINE   AS   TEACHER  107 

reached  them  through  solo  singers  on  the  platform  or  by 
the  medium  of  sheet  music,  from  which  it  was  painfully 
strummed  by  amateurs  on  cheap  pianos.  Those  days 
have  gone.  The  gramophone  brings  real  music  into  the 
home,  though  we  must  confess  that  we  have  no  sympathy 
with  a  good  deal  of  it.  Much  stuff  is  placed  upon  records 
which  cannot  be  classed  as  music  in  the  strict  sense, 
and  many  machines  are  sold  to  the  unwary  which  do 
not  deserve  the  name  of  gramophone.  These  remarks, 
however,  do  not  apply  to  "  His  Master's  Voice."  All 
goods  which  bear  the  famous  trade-mark  may  be 
indisputably  relied  upon  for  quality  and  value. 

There  was  perhaps  as  much  indignation  felt  by  some 
of  the  "  heads  "  at  Eton  when  Mr.  Basil  Johnson,  the 
principal  music  master,  proposed  the  introduction  of 
a  gramophone  as  animated  Jennie  Geddes,  the  old 
Scotswoman,  when  she  heard  the  organ  in  the  kirk  and 
threw  her  stool  at  the  minister's  head.  But  Mr. 
Johnson  had  his  way  and  a  talking  machine  was  installed, 
thereby  setting  an  example  to  all  the  other  public 
schools  of  Great  Britain.  We  understand  that  Winches- 
ter, Repton  and  Oundle  have  already  followed  in  the 
footsteps  of  Eton,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that,  before 
this  little  book  is  published,  all  the  great  schools  of 
England,  Scotland  and  Wales  will  be  provided  with 
instruments. 

In  Wales,  as  was  to  be  expected  from  such  a  musical 
nation,  the  movement  is  making  headway  with  gigantic 
strides.  This  is  chiefly  owing  to  the  efforts  of  Dr. 
Walford  Davies,  than  whom  the  gramophone  has  no 
more  strenuous  advocate.  Few  men  are  more  honoured 
in  the  Principality,  or  out  of  it,  than  the  organist  of  the 
Temple  Church,  who  is  now  Professor  of  Music  in  the 
University  of  Wales  and  Director  of  Music  in  Welsh 
Schools.  His  views  are  that  each  of  the  1,800  Welsh 


108  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

elementary  schools  should  have  its  gramophone,  and 
he  is  also  organizing  the  formation  of  record  libraries. 
Dr.  Davies  is  an  authority  who  commands  respect, 
and  his  advice  prompts  instant  consideration.  In  Wales 
the  seeds  of  his  utterances  fall  upon  fruitful  ground, 
for,  like  all  Celts,  the  Cymric  are  essentially  an  intensely 
musical  people  and  respond  with  enthusiasm  to  any 
suggestion  of  education  in  music.  Of  the  four  races 
which  are  comprised  in  the  British  Isles  none  is  so 
advanced  musically  as  the  Welsh,  and  it  is  only  natural 
that  the  propaganda  of  Dr.  Davies  should  meet  with  a 
favourable  reception.  Thus,  when  the  Professor  was 
entertained  to  luncheon  by  the  Rotary  Club  of  Swansea, 
he  gave  a  short  lecture-recital  on  the  gramophone 
to  the  members.  There  were  present  fifty-five  business 
men  keenly  interested  in  every  word  which  fell  from  the 
Doctor's  lips.  As  he  concluded  his  lecture  Dr.  Davies 
asked  those  who  recognized  the  educational  value  of  the 
gramophone  to  write  to  him  for  lists  of  suitable  records 
for  home  study.  To  his  surprise  and  satisfaction  the 
applicants  numbered  sixty-two,  showing  that  the 
Professor's  appeal  in  the  good  cause  had  spread  beyond 
the  confines  of  the  Rotary  Club. 

The  Gramophone  Company  are  efficiently  backing  up 
Dr.  Davies's  efforts  by  providing  school  machines  and 
special  records,  so  that  Wales,  as  heretofore,  will  con- 
tinue to  maintain  a  priority  in  music  unless  strong 
endeavours  are  made  in  other  directions. 

Many  persons  are  constantly  referring  to  what  they 
call  the  "  good  old  days."  We  know  very  well  that  in 
almost  every  respect  they  were  extremely  bad  old 
days,  but  we  cannot  gainsay  the  fact  that,  say  in 
the  spacious  days  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  the  common 
people,  appallingly  ignorant  though  they  might  have 
been,  were  more  light-hearted  and  joyous  than  we  are 


THE   TALKING   MACHINE   AS   TEACHER  109 

to-day.  Their  folk-songs,  their  glees  and  madrigals 
point  to  it,  and  these  bring  us  at  a  single  step  to  the 
folk  dances. 

All  English  musicians  know  the  interest  Mr.  Cecil 
Sharp  takes  in  these  matters.  He  has  travelled  the  coun- 
try round  picking  up  odd  snatches  of  ancient  ditties 
in  out  of  the  way  nooks  and  corners  of  the  land  ;  he 
has  made  friends  with  strange,  eccentric  village  charac- 
ters to  get  hold  of  a  few  bars  of  some  old  tune  which 
they  alone  knew,  and  he  has  witnessed  queer  jigs  and 
reels  in  places  where  the  same  dances  were  in  vogue 
500  years  ago.  It  is  the  darling  wish  of  his  heart  to 
see  those  old  dances  re-introduced  through  the  school- 
children of  our  time.  And  why  not  ?  They  were  a 
thousand-fold  more  innocent  than  the  tangos  and 
fox-trots  and  bunny-hugs  which  have  been  brought  here 
from  the  dancing  saloons  of  the  New  York  Bowery. 
The  music  to  which  our  forefathers  and  foremothers 
footed  it  so  bravely  was  infinitely  preferable  to  the 
discordant  abominations  of  jazz.  The  old  "  contra  " 
dances,  perverted  into  "  country,"  of  which  the  "  Hay- 
makers," the  original  of  Sir  Roger  de  Coverley,  is  a  fine 
ensample,  gave  health  and  joy  to  the  lads  and  lasses — 
a  joy  that  is  not  experienced  in  the  stifling  ball-rooms 
of  the  town.  Why,  then,  should  not  Mr.  Sharp's 
wish  be  fulfilled  ?  Many  of  the  old  tunes,  arranged 
by  him,  have  been  recorded  and  published,  and 
with  efficient  teachers  we  could  have  our  children 
instructed  in  them  to  the  benefit  of  their  health  and 
morals. 

We  have  spoken  elsewhere  of  the  teaching  of 
languages  by  means  of  the  gramophone,  and  we  under- 
stand that  this  system  is  going  ahead  with  considerable 
force.  Messrs.  Pathe  Freres  issue  many  discs  made 
from  the  speaking  voices  of  the  best  enunciators  in 


110  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

French,  Spanish  and  other  European  tongues.  By  this- 
method  a  correct  accent  can  be  imparted  to  the  pupils 
without  the  intervention  of  a  master  or  mistress.  The 
lessons,  we  believe,  are  graduated  from  the  simplest 
sentences  until  they  reach  the  conversational  stage. 
Other  companies,  too,  produce  records  of  the  same 
character,  and  Messrs.  Funk  and  Wagnall,  the  educa- 
tional publishers,  have  an  American  machine  and 
records  adapted  to  this  system  of  instruction. 

The  amplification  of  sound  for  the  purpose  of  filling 
large  halls  or  for  outdoor  uses  has  engaged  the  attention 
of  many  inventors.  There  is  the  Naturafone,  an  excellent 
machine,  the  invention  of  our  good  friend  Mr.  Crowe, 
a  son  of  the  late  Gwyllym  Crowe,  the  waltz  composer  and 
conductor,  several  years  ago,  of  the  promenade  concerts 
at  Co  vent  Garden.  This  instrument  depends  upon 
the  construction  of  the  sound  box  for  its  increase  of 
volume.  Then  there  is  the  Stentorphone,  a  huge 
machine,  in  which  compressed  air  is  forced  through  the 
tone-arm.  Both  these,  however,  are  completely  cast 
in  the  shade  by  the  Magnavox  or  Telemegaphone,  an 
electric  contrivance  from  America  which  has  just  found 
its  way  to  this  country.  This  can  be  used  either  with  a 
gramophone,  or  simply  by  a  public  speaker  talking  into 
a  mouthpiece  like  that  of  a  telephone.  The  sound  can 
be  regulated  by  the  turning  of  a  switch,  and  so  great  is 
its  power  that  the  human  voice  in  certain  conditions  of 
the  atmosphere  has  been  heard  at  a  distance  of  seven 
miles.  It  was  much  in  evidence  during  the  last 
presidential  election  in  the  States,  and  it  ought  to 
be  useful  for  candidates  at  the  next  general  election 
in  the  United  Kingdom.  The  agents  here  are  the 
Johnson  Talking  Machine  Company,  of  Tottenham 
Court  Road. 

As  we  began  by  saying  that  the  Talking  Machine  is 


THE   TALKING   MACHINE   AS   TEACHER  111 

•only  in  its  infancy,  so  we  conclude.  There  are  vast 
possibilities  for  it  as  yet  undiscovered,  and  when  all 
avenues  have  been  explored  it  may  happen  that  the 
instrument  will  be  found  useful  to  man  in  ways  as  yet 
undreamt  of. 


(    APPENDIX 

AFTER  due  consideration,  we  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  industry  is  at  last  bestirring  itself. 
It  has  had  rather  a  protracted  period  of  somnolence 
from  which  it  has  only  now  begun  to  awaken.  Since 
the  body  of  this  little  work  was  written,  changes  have 
taken  place  in  many  respects  which  show  that  the 
infant  is  progressing  more  rapidly  than  in  the  past. 
Further  discoveries  in  the  properties  of  sound  have 
been  exercising  with  striking  results  the  brains  of 
scientists.  Revolutionary  inventions  have  been  making 
their  appearance,  which  in  all  probability  will  neces- 
sitate great  alterations  in  the  construction  and  look  of 
the  talking  machine. 

Foremost  among  the  latter  will  be  found  to-day  the 
novel  contrivances  of  Mr.  Pemberton  Billing.  This 
singularly  ingenious  gentleman  has  been  experimenting 
for  a  long  time  upon  improvements  in  the  gramophone 
and  has  taken  out  several  patents.  For  the  exploita- 
tion of  these,  a  company  has  been  formed  under  the 
designation  of  the  "  World  Record,  Limited,"  with  an 
extensive  and  well-equipped  factory  at  Chiswick. 

The  new  record  comprises  many  startling  changes  in 
the  character  of  the  disc,  although  the  general  appear- 
ance remains  the  same.  By  a  controlling  device  which 
may  be  attached  to  any  machine,  the  record  plays 
several  songs,  instrumental  solos,  or  orchestral  selec- 
tions, as  the  case  may  be,  on  one  side.  This  economizes 
space,  and  naturally  the  reproduction  lasts  much  longer 
in  performance  than  with  ordinary  records.  The  first 
issue  of  these  compendious  discs  was  only  placed  upon  the 
market  in  October  last  (1922),  so  that  there  has  not 

112 


APPENDIX  113 

yet  been  sufficient  time  to  judge  of  their  reception  by 
the  public  ;  however,  the  sales  already  have  proved 
abnormally  large,  and  there  is  every  sign  that  the  new 
record  has  justified  its  existence. 

Ingenious  as  Mr.  Pemberton  Billing  has  shown  him- 
self to  be  in  his  invention  of  the  multiple  record,  he 
has  by  no  means  exhausted  all  his  powers  upon  it. 
The  "  Trinity"  gramophone  is  another  novelty  of  his 
which  the  "  World  Record,  Ltd.,"  has  sprung  upon  us. 
As  its  name  implies,  it  is  actually  three  in  one.  In  the 
first  place,  you  see  before  you  a  solid-looking,  well- 
polished  concert-grand,  with  closed  sound-doors.  When 
a  record  is  put  on  the  turntable  and  the  sound-doors 
opened,  you  listen  as  you  would  to  any  other  gramo- 
phone ;  but  this  is  not  all.  After  some  slight  manipula- 
tion of  the  winding-handle  and  tone-arm,  a  full-bodied 
table-grand  is  withdrawn  and,  if  wanted,  can  be  car- 
ried into  another  room  or  out  into  the  garden.  There 
is  still,  however,  the  third  and  last  transformation  to- 
take  place.  This  is  accomplished  by  taking  a  useful 
drawer  away  from  the  original  concert-grand  and 
fitting  it  on  the  top  of  the  table-grand  by  means  of 
certain  clips  for  the  purpose.  It  now  becomes  the 
"  Picnic  Portable,"  with  a  strong  leather  handle  for 
carrying  it  about.  The  "  Trinity "  is  certainly  a 
marvel  of  ingenuity,  and  extraordinarily  cheap  at 
nineteen  guineas. 

A  third  novelty  marketed  by  the  "  World  Record, 
Ltd.,"  is  the  "  Vistavox."  The  great  feature  about 
this  is  the  peculiarity  of  the  sound-box  and  tone-arm,, 
which  can  hardly  be  explained  without  an  illustration. 
It  has,  however,  special  tonal  qualities  to  recommend 
it,  and  thus,  we  believe,  a  future  is  ensured  for  it. 

The  C.  H.  Roberts  Manufacturing  Co.,  Ltd.,  of 
Camden  Road,  London,  is  a  flourishing  concern  which 
has  recently  placed  several  valuable  machines  upon  the 
market  under  the  style  and  title  of  "  Bestone."  Their 
first  venture  was  the  "  Bestone"  Portable,  which  was 


114  THE    TALKING    MACHINE    INDUSTRY 

the  invention  of  Mr.  C.  H.  Roberts,  a  gentleman  who 
for  years  has  been  a  keen  gramophone  enthusiast  and 
inventor  of  many  original  devices.  The  "  Bestone  " 
Portable  is  a  gramophone,  the  interior  framework  of 
which  is  made  of  aluminium,  a  metal  which  not  only 
has  excellent  acoustic  advantages,  but  is  also  imper- 
vious to  climatic  changes.  Thus  the  model  is  as 
admirably  adapted  to  the  tropics  as  it  is  to  frigid 
regions. 

The  Roberts  Company  have  also  just  brought  out  the 
"  Bestone  "  Corner  Cabinet,  a  gramophone  which  fits 
into  a  corner,  and  is  incomparable  in  tone  and  quality. 
It  is  a  beautiful  specimen  of  the  cabinet-maker's  art, 
and  may  be  had  in  oak,  mahogany,  or  lacquer  at  prices 
ranging  from  thirty-five  to  sixty-five  guineas.  The 
company  have  at  the  same  time  issued  a  sound-box  of 
superior  make  and  finish  at  a  guinea  each. 

A  great  novelty  from  the  same  firm  is  the  Boys' 
Gramophone  Outfit,  which  enables  a  boy  to  build  up 
his  own  table  cabinet  and,  after  playing,  pull  it  to 
pieces  again,  no  glue  or  tacks  being  required  in  the 
process.  For  ingenious  youngsters  this  is  a  most 
enticing  commodity. 

When  a  big  corporation  like  the  Chappell  Piano  Co., 
Ltd.,  which  is  known  and  esteemed  throughout  the 
whole  world,  become  sole  sales  concessionaires  for  a 
new  invention,  it  is  a  sure  guarantee  of  its  excellence. 
This  is  what  has  happened  in  the  case  of  the  Clifto- 
phone.  The  inventor  of  this  very  fine  machine  is  a 
gentleman  named  Clifton,  of  great  scientific  attain- 
ments, who  has  devoted  many  years  to  the  study  of 
sound  reproduction.  After  much  labour,  he  has  evolved 
a  gramophone  which  may  be  looked  upon  as  the  very 
last  word  in  talking  machines.  As  might  be  expected 
from  the  work  which  has  been  bestowed  upon.it,  the 
Cliftophone  exhibits  certain  valuable  improvements. 
These  have  been  achieved  by  means  of  alterations  in 
the  accessories  rather  than  through  changes  in  the 


APPENDIX  115 

actual  machine.  The  sound-box  is  of  a  novel  con- 
struction, being  fitted  with  a  compensating  lever  as  the 
connection  between  the  diaphragm  and  the  stylus-bar, 
thus  dispensing  with  that  tendency  to  work  loose  and 
give  a  disagreeable  rattle,  which  is  the  fault  of  some  of 
the  ordinary  sound-boxes.  In  the  Cliftophone  sound- 
box there  is  absolutely  no  possibility  of  this  loosening. 
Again,  the  "  Twin  Reed"  composite  diaphragm  is  an 
innovation  which  emerges  triumphantly  from  all  tests. 
It  has  been  the  result  of  countless  experiments  and,  as 
a  consequence,  has  reached  the  highest  pinnacle  of 
perfection  in  regard  to  the  properties  of  diaphragms. 

Another  remarkable  feature  of  the  Cliftophone  is  the 
tone-arm,  with  its  continuation,  the  reproducing 
chamber.  In  this  it  has  been  the  object  of  the  inventor 
to  make  the  reproduction  truly  realistic,  and  to  that 
end  he  has  introduced  a  special  "  articulation  "  or  hinge 
for  the  tone-arm,  which  entirely  prevents  any  "  shake  " 
or  loss  of  motion,  yet  compels  it  to  offer  absolutely 
rigid  resistance  to  the  "  drag"  of  the  needle.  Thus 
the  whole  of  the  music  may  be  heard  without  the 
slightest  loss.  The  tone  chambers,  too,  have  been  so 
designed  as  to  secure  the  melodious  and  rhythmical 
development  of  the  music  emitted  by  the  sound-box 
until  it  reaches  the  ear  of  the  listener. 

From  unsolicited  testimonials  it  would  appear  that 
the  Cliftophone  has  succeeded  in  overcoming  the  pre- 
judices of  hardened  gramophone  haters  and  in  drawing 
forth  the  admiration  of  the  most  scientific  sound 
specialists. 

As  was  said  of  old  concerning  books,  so  might  it  be 
repeated  now  with  regard  to  sound-boxes  :  "Of  the 
making  of  boxes  there  is  no  end."  Why  there  should 
be  this  plethora  of  resonators  is  beyond  our  explana- 
tion, but  to  us  it  would  seem  as  if  every  amateur 
artificer  who  had  conceived  some  spite  against  the 
gramophone  had  forthwith  started  out  to  vent  his 
spleen  upon  the  instrument.  The  result  of  such 

9— (1466E) 


116  THE   TALKING   MACHINE   INDUSTRY 

inexpert  efforts  is  the  production  of  an  accessory  calcu- 
lated to  give  the  most  acute  tortures  to  the  listener. 
A  bad  sound-box  is  worse  than  gout  or  toothache. 
It  jars  upon  the  auditory  nerves  and  produces  agony. 

That  the  Talking  Machine  Industry  is  making  much 
more  rapid  strides  in  advancement  than  has  been 
observable  for  several  years  is  a  fact  which  not  even 
the  most  prejudiced  of  its  detractors  can  deny.  It  has 
overcome  all  unreasonable  prepossessions  and  anti- 
quated conservative  bias  by  the  soundness  of  its  pro- 
positions and  the  strictly  scientific  principles  upon 
which  they  have  been  carried  out. 


WORLD    RECORDS 

play    continuously    without     attention 

from    3    to    5    times    as    long    as    any 

other  Gramophone  Record  throughout 

the  World 


On  sale  at  all  Musical  Instrument  Dealers 
and  gramophone  stockists,  or  obtainable, 
together  with  descriptive  literature,  from — 

World  Record,  Ltd. 

Cromwell  Works,  Mortlake 
London,  S.W.14  

West  End  Showrooms :  2  Piccadilly  Arcade,  London,  W.I 

Telephone :  Gerrard  2251 


INDEX 


AEOLIAN  Co.,  Ltd.,  79,  80,  81, 
82 
-  vocalion,  79 

Air,  10 

Amenophis,  2 

America,  education  in,   1 

Amplification  of  sound,  110 

Apes,  92 

Association  of  Gramophone 
Manufacturers  and  Whole- 
sale Dealers,  95 

Asquith,  Right  Hon.  H.  H.,  90 

Automaton,  marvellous,  9 

BACON,  Roger,  5 
Balfour,  Earl,  90 
Band  and  orchestral  records, 

64 

Barrientos,  90 
Beecham,  Sir  Thomas,  90 
Beka  Co.,  42 

Bell,  Alexander  Graham,  15,  22 
Bergerac,  Cyrano  de,  7 
Berliner,  Emil,  32 
Bernhardt,  Sara,  91 
Brewster,  Sir  David,  8 
British  Association,  14 
Busoni,  90 

Butt,  Dame  Clara,  90 
Byron,  3 

CANADA,  103 

Caruso,  86 

Casals,  Pablo,  90 

Celebrated  case,  a,  24 

China,  3 

Chinese  records,  92 

Chladni,  11 

Churchill,  Winston,  90 

Clarion  Co.,  32 

Coates,  Albert,  90 

Collier,  Constance,  91 


Columbia  Co.,  23,  41,  75,  76, 

77,  90 

Cros,  Charles,  15 
Curious  box,  5 
Cyrano  de  Bergerac,  7 

DACAPO  Co.,  42 
Davies,  Ben,  84 

,  Dr.  Walford,  107 

Diaphragm,  48 
Dictaphone,  83 
Disc  machine,  32 
Double-sided  discs,  38 
Due  de  Leon,  12 
Duck,  famous,  6 
Duhamel,  12 

EDISON,  15,  16,  17,  18,  20,  21 

—  Bell,  25 

-  factory  in  England,  31 
— ,  United,  24 

Education,  103 

—  in  America,  1 

-  in  Canada,  103 
Egypt,  2 
Eisenmanger,  12 
Electrotyping,  25 

El  gar,  Sir  Edward,  103 
Emil  Berliner,  32 
Eton,  the  gramophone  at,  107 
Expiration  of  patents,  38 

FABER,  9 

Famous  duck,  6 

Favourite  Co.,  42 

Federation  of  British  Music 
Industries,  100 

Fenby,  15 

Fibre  needles,  56 

First  talking  machine  in  Eng- 
land, 28 


118 


INDEX 


119 


Flute-player,  mechanical,  6 
Folk  songs,  etc.,  109 

GAISBERG,  the  late  Mr.,  93 

Galli-Curci,  Mme.,  19 

Garner,  Professor,  92 

Gaskets,  49 

Gladstone,  W.  E.,  28 

Gooseneck,  the,  51 

Graduola,  the,  80,  81 

Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd.,  38,  41, 
72,  85,  105 

Dealers'  Association,  99 

,  name  of,  35 

Graphophone,  the,  23 

-  and    Phonograph    Socie- 
ties,  101 

HART,  Sir  Robert,  4 
Harty,  Hamilton,  90 
Hawaiian  ukalele  and  records, 

93 

Hawksbee,  10 
Hedgehog  spines,  60 
Hedgerow  thorns,  59 
Heifetz,  Jascha,  65 
Horn  and  hornless  machines, 

53 
Hough,  J.  E.,  Ltd.,  82 

INFRINGEMENT  of  patent — 
Gramophone  Co.  v.  Ull- 
mann,  52 

JAPANESE,  92 

Jazz,  93 

John  Wesley,  7 

KEMPELIN,  8 
Koenig,  13 
Kratzenstein,  8 
Kwang  Tung,  4 

LANDON  Ronald,  Sir,  84 
Legal  proceedings,  24 
Leon  Scott,  12 
Lichtenberg,  11 
Linguaphone,  41 


London  String  Quartette,  90 

MAGNAVOX,  110 
Magnus,  Albertus,  6 
Making  a  record,  62 
Manufacture  of  munitions  by 

Gramophone  Co.,  Ltd.,  75 
Manufacturing  a  disc,  69 
Marvellous  automaton,  9 
Master,  the,  24 
Mechanical  flute-player,  6 
Melba,  Dame  Nellie,  88 
Memnon,  2 
Michaelis,  Dr.,  34 
Motors,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,  48 

NAME  talking  machine,  1 
National  Phonograph  Co.,  39 
Needles,  54,  55,  56 
Needle  tension  attachment,  58 
Neophone,  the,  35 

ODEON  records,  39 

PACHMANN,  90 

Paderewski,  105 

Patents     of     phonograph     by 

Edison,  22 

Pathe  Freres,  35,  77,  78,  91 
Patti,  Adelina,  85 
Pausanius,  3 
Ponselle,  90 
Philip  Reiss,  15 
Phonautograph,  12 
Phonaugraph,  the  name,  15 
Photophone,  the,  36 
Primitive  man,  1 
Prince  Consort,  14 

QUEEN  Victoria,  14 

RECORDING  machine,  68 

-  the  guns  at  Lille,  93 
Reiss,  Philip,  13 
Reproduction  of  sound,   13 
Ricketts,  M.  E.,  95 
Ronald,  Sir  Landon,  84 
Rotary  club,  108 


120 


INDEX 


SANCTUM    sanctorum    of    the 

recorder,  66 
Sapphire,    diamond   and   glass 

points,  60 
Scholes,  Percy,  104 
Scott,  Leon,  13 
Seymour,  Henry,  13 
Sharp,  Cecil,  109 
Shellac,  70 

Shorthand  Record  Co.,  41 
Singing  birds,  92 
Snazelle,  91 
Sound, 10 

-  boxes,  48 

-  waves,  11 
Spear-point  needles,  60 
Sphinx,  the,  2 
Sponge,  wonderful,  7 
Sterling,  Louis,  39 
Strabo,  3 
Stracciari,  90 
Stralia,  90 

Stylus  bar,  49 

Synchronization     with     kine- 
matograph,  37 

TACITUS,  2 

Tainter,  Charles  Sumner,  23 

&  Bell,  24 

Talking  machine,  name,  1 


Telephone,  first,  15 

Terry,  Ellen,  91 

Thebes,  2 

Timms,  Chas.  E.,  95 

Tone-arm,  52 

Tree,  Sir  H.  Beerbohm,  90 

Tungsten  needles,  60 

Tyndall,  11 

ULLMANN,  C.  &  J.,  39 
Ukalele,  93 

VASTERLOCK,  7 
Vaucanson,  6 
Vibratory  diaphragm,   14 
Victoria,  Queen,  14 

WAR  between  Edison  Bell  and 

Edison  United,  40 
Welsh  schools,  107 
Wesley,  John,  7 
Williams,  Bransby,  91 
Willis,  Percy,  28 
Wonderful  sponge,  7 
Wood,  Sir  Henry  J.,  90 

YEAR  of  great  events,  39 
Ysaye,  90 

ZONOPHONE  Co.,  the  British,  39 


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x— (1466B) 


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20 


PITMAN 'S 

COMMON  COMMODITIES  AND  INDUSTRIES 
SERIES 


IN  each  volume  of  this  series  a  particular  product  or  industry  is 
treated  by  an  expert  writer  and  practical  man  of  business  in  an 
interesting  non-technical  style.  Beginning  with  the  life  history 
of  the  plant,  or  other  natural  product,  he  follows  its  development 
until  it  becomes  a  commercial  commodity,  and  so  on  through 
the  various  phases  of  its  sale  in  the  market  and  its  purchase 
by  the  consumer.  Industries  are  treated  in  a  similar  manner, 
so  that  these  books  form  ideal  introductions  to  the  particular 
industries  with  which  they  deal. 

In  crown  8vo,  about  150  pp.,  including  many  illustrations,  and, 
where  necessary,  a  map  and  diagrams.     3s.  net. 


Tea. 

By  A.  IBBETSON. 
Coffee. 

By  B.  B.  KEABLE. 
Sugar. 

By  GEO.  MABTINEAU,  C.B. 
Oils. 

By  C.  AINSWORTH  MITCHELL. 
Wheat  and  Its  Products. 

By  ANDREW  MILLAR. 
Rubber. 

By    C.     BEADLE    and    H.     P. 

STEVENS,  M.A.,  Ph.D.,  F.I.C. 
Iron  and  Steel. 

By  C.  HOOD. 
Copper. 

By  H.  K.  PICARD. 
Coal. 

By  FRANCIS  H.  WILSON, 

M.Inst.M.E. 
Timber. 

By  W.  BULLOCK. 
Cotton. 

By  R.  J.  PEAKE. 
Silk. 

By  LUTHER  HOOPER. 
Wool. 

By  J.  A.  HUNTER. 
Linen. 

By  ALFRED  S.  MOORE. 
Tobacco. 

By  A.  E.  TANNER. 


Leather. 

By  K.  J.  AD  COCK. 
Clays  and  Clay  Products. 

By  ALFRED  B.  SEARLE. 
Paper. 

By  HARRY  A.  MADDOX. 
Soap. 

By  WILLIAM  H.  SIMMONS,  B.Sc. 

(Lond.),  F.C.S. 
Glass  and  Glass  Making. 

By  P.  MARS  ON. 
Gums  and  Resins. 

By  ERNEST  J.    PARRY,    B.Sc., 

F.I.C.,  F.C.S. 
The  Boot  and  Shoe  Industry. 

By  J.  S.  HARDING. 
The  Motor  Industry. 

By  HORACE  WYATT,  B.A. 
Gas  and  Gas  Making. 

By  W.  H.  Y.  WEBBER,  C.E. 
Furniture. 

By  H.  E.  BINSTEAD. 
Coal  Tar. 

By    A.    R.    WARNES,     F.C.S., 

A.I.Mech.E. 
Petroleum. 

By  A.  LIDGETT. 

Salt. 

By  A.  F.  CALVERT,  F.C.S. 
Zinc  and  Its  Alloys. 

By  T.  E.  LONES,  M.A.,  LL.D., 

B.Sc. 


21 


Common  Commodities  Series — Contd. 


Knitted  Fabrics. 

By    JOHN    CHAMBERLAIN    and 

JAMES  H.  QUILTER. 
Cordage  and  Cordage  Hemp. 

By    T.     WOODHOUSE    and    P. 

KILGOUR. 
Carpets. 

By  R.  S.  BRINTON. 
Asbestos. 

By  A.  L.  SUMMERS. 
Photography. 

By  W.  GAMBLE,  F.R.P.S. 
Acids,  Alkalis,  and  Salts. 

By  G.  H.  J.  ADLAM,  M.A.,  B.Sc. 
Silver. 

By  B.  WHITE. 
Electricity. 

By  R.  E.  NEALE,  B.Sc.  (Hons.). 
Butter  and  Cheese. 

By   C.    W.    WALKER    TISDALE 

and   JEAN   JONES 
Faints  and  Varnishes. 

By  A.  S.  JENNINGS,  F.I.B.D. 
Aluminium. 

By  G.  MORTIMER,  M.Inst.Met. 
Gold. 

By  B.  WHITE. 
Stones  and  Quarries. 

By  J.    ALLEN   HOWE,    O.B.E., 

B.Sc.,  M.I.M.M. 
Lead. 

By  J.  A.  SMYTHE,  Ph.D.,  D.Sc. 
The  Clothing  Industry. 

By  B.  W.  POOLS,  M.U.K.A. 
Modern  Explosives. 

By    S.    I.    LEVY,    B.A.,    B.Sc. 
Anthracite. 

By  A.  L.  SUMMERS. 
The  British  Corn  Trade. 

By  A.  BARKER. 
Engraving. 

By  T.  W.  LASCELLES. 
Telegraphy,  Telephony,  and 

Wireless. 

By  JOSEPH  POOLE,  A.M.LE.E. 
The  Raw  Materials  of  Perfumery. 

By    ERNEST    J.  PARRY,  B.Sc. 
Cold  Storage  and  Ice  Making. 

By  B.  H.  SPRINGETT. 
The  Electric  Lamp  Industry. 

By  G.  ARNCLIFFE  PERCIVAL. 


Gloves  and  the  Glove  Trade. 

By  B.  E.  ELLIS. 
The  Jute  Industry. 

By    T.     WOODHOUSE    and    P. 

KILGOUR. 
The  Film  Industry. 

By  DAVIDSON  BOUGHEY. 
The  Cycle  Industry. 

By  W.  F.  GREW. 
Drugs  in  Commerce. 

By     J.      HUMPHREY,      Ph.C., 

F.J.I. 
Cotton  Spinning. 

By  A.  S.  WADE. 
Sulphur. 

By  H.  A.  AUDEN,  D.Sc. 
Ironfounding. 

By  B.  WHITELEY. 
Textile  Bleaching. 

By  ALEC.  B.  STEVEN. 
Alcohol. 

By  C.  SIMMONDS. 
Internal  Combustion  Engines. 

By  J.  OKILL,  M.I.A.E. 
Hats. 

By  H.  INWARDS. 
Velvet. 

By  J.  H.  COOKE. 
Dyeing  of  Fabrics. 

By  A.  J.  HALL. 
Concrete. 

By  W.   NOBLE   TWELVETRTCES, 

M.I.M.E.,   A.M.LE.E. 
Wine  and  the  Wine  Trade. 

By  ANDR£  L.  SIMON. 
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By  G.  WHITELEY  WARD. 
Sponges. 

By  E.  J.  J.  CRESSWELL. 
Clocks  and  Watches. 

By  G.  L.  OVERTON. 
Incandescent  Lighting. 

By    S.    I.    LEVY,   B.A.,    B.Sc. 
Oil  for  Power  Purposes. 

By  SIDNEY  H.  NORTH. 
The  Fishing  Industry. 

By  DR.  W.  E.  GIBBS. 
Starch  and  Starch  Products. 

By  H.  A.  AUDEN,  D.Sc.,  F.C.S. 
Talking  Machines. 

By  O  GIL  VIE  MITCHELL. 


22 


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